OMB sets new e-gov goals

The federal government missed its 2005 goal for security, according to an Office of Management and Budget report released today. Agencies had secured and accredited 85 percent of their information technology systems by the end of fiscal 2005, but the goal was 90 percent, OMB said.

The report also includes goals for improving cybersecurity, raising the quality of agencies’ business cases for new projects, meeting earned value management standards and building an effective IT workforce.

“We continue to strive to improve the security posture of the federal government assets, and although we missed the goal for [fiscal] '05, we continue to improve our response to security incidents,” states the report “Expanding E-Government: Improved Service Delivery for the American People Using Information Technology.”

The Bush administration wants to increase to 90 percent the number of agencies with acceptable business cases for projects that align with their core missions. In 2005, the goal was only 75 percent, with 84 percent of agencies meeting the mark.

Seven out of 25 agencies have fully implemented earned value management, a tool for providing snapshots of the progress of major IT projects, while another 13 agencies are using some level of EVM, according to the report. The new goal is to have at least half of the agencies managing their IT portfolios by the government’s standards.

Another goal for 2006 calls for agency chief information officers to identify gaps in the IT workforce and for half of the agencies to close those gaps.

“I’m quite pleased with the federal government’s success in implementing e-government initiatives,” said Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee and author of the E-Government Act. The report's release marked the third anniversary of the act.

“As we continue to move forward, Congress must ensure that our government is utilizing the latest technologies to improve operational efficiencies and streamline the delivery of services,” Davis said.