FITARA Scorecard 10.0 Shows Progress on IT Modernization in Federal Agencies

For the first time since the scorecard’s creation, none of the 24 federal agencies reviewed through the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard received a failing grade. The scorecard requires an agency’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) to report to agency leadership and Congress on the agency’s IT modernization efforts.

According to the preliminary scorecard reports, one agency, the General Services Administration (GSA), received an A+ ranking while one agency, the Department of Education (DOE), dropped out of the A+ ranking range to a B+. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the only other agency to receive an A rating.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) remained rated at a C- and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) lowered its rating from a B to a C.

Last year, the Department of State (State) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received a D- rating, but both lifted their ratings to a C- this year.

In response to the scorecard’s release, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations held their biannual hearing to assess the implementation of FITARA.

As Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) explained in his opening remarks, “This isn’t just about passing in grades. These grades represent taxpayer dollars saved, better mission delivery, and serving this nation more effective and efficiently. And during this pandemic, we have come to realize just how vital good IT and strong IT governance are to the federal government and the people we serve.”

Throughout the pandemic, federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and National Security Agency (NSA), have stressed the importance of cyber hygiene for federal employees working remotely.

Last month, the Chief Information Officers Council , in conjunction with these agencies,  released guidance on best practices for teleworking that stressed the importance of using official government technology.

While the original FITARA Scorecard consisted of only four metrics- Data Center Consolidation, IT Portfolio Review Savings, Incremental Project Development/Delivery, and Risk and Assessment Transparency- it has evolved based on oversight and feedback from CIOs to include other components of federal IT such as cybersecurity.

Representative Connolly stressed the importance of ensuring agencies have “established policies that fully address the role of their CIO” and ensure CIOs are working directly with agency leadership to implement changes to IT policy when needed.

Hearing witness Richard Spires, former CIO at the Homeland Security Department and the Internal Revenue Service, noted that at DHS, he did not report to the secretary or deputy secretary directly, as opposed to at the IRS where he reported directly to the Commissioner. Spires reported that this relationship made him “significantly more effective” in doing his job.