Improving Agency IT Reporting: Telling the Story Better, or Having a Better Story to Tell

Beth Ward E-Government, Office of Management and Budget Federal CPIC Forum Webinar July 18, 2013

IT Reporting
Provides Agencies, OMB, Congress, and the public with information on program performance
Internal status reports Independent oversight

Required by the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 and other legislation and guidance Addresses issues such as:
Is IT being effectively leveraged to meet mission/business needs? Are funds being efficiently applied and used?

CPIC and IT Reporting

Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) comes from the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 Requires a minimum set of program management practices The Exhibit 300 was developed as a primary artifact
Describes and justifies major IT investments Demonstrates compliance with legislative requirements
Select

How do you know you have selected the best projects?

Do you have requirements and ConOps? Based on your evaluation, did the systems deliver what you expected?

PreSelect

Evaluate

What are you doing to ensure the projects will deliver the projected benefits?

Control

Tell the Story Better

Agencies can improve IT reporting by better communicating the good work theyre doing
Sound investment choices have been fully vetted through an agency selection process Program is meeting cost, schedule, performance goals Successfully supporting the mission/business need

IT reporting is strongest when it clearly articulates an investments Justification, Goals, Selection process, Management, and Performance

Have a Better Story to Tell

IT Reporting and overall performance can be improved by strengthening program/project management
Document clear mission/business need Select the right solution Develop thorough and realistic cost and schedule estimates Manage and control the acquisition/implementation Monitor on-going performance

Evolving Role of IT Reporting

Compliance reporting on its own is no guarantee of success
Reporting for the sake of reporting can get in the way of effective and success-oriented IT management

As technology changes, reporting and oversight also evolve Where were going:
More emphasis on the entire portfolio including services acquired and provided Less time/resources on reporting to OMB, and more energy spent on managing the portfolio of services and investments

OMB Focus Areas

Open Data Mobile Government Cloud Computing Service Orientation Modular Contracting Enterprise View Evidence-Based Decision Making

OMB Tools
TechStat Accountability Review
Deep dive into poor performing investments Provides a 360o view of investment/program performance

PortfolioStat
Examines the entire portfolio based on available data Compares performance to similar agencies Identifies best practices and focus areas

IRM Strategic Plan and Enterprise Roadmap

Link IT-related strategic goals, business objectives, and enabling IT capabilities

Integrated Data Collection (IDC)

Consolidates much agency reporting to OMB Enables stronger, more strategic decision-making
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In Conclusion
IT Reporting should:
Allow agencies to know and demonstrate that theyre meeting mission/business needs Provide meaningful, actionable information to stakeholders at all levels Impose minimal burden on the reporting organization

We must move beyond compliance Agencies should continue to improve IT management at all levels

Questions?