The fed. govt. spends billions of dollars on info. tech. (IT) projects each year. Consequently, it is important that projects be managed effectively to ensure that public resources are wisely invested. To this end, the OMB identifies major projects and requires agencies to identify high-risk projects that are performing poorly. At times, changes to this info. -- called a re-baselining -- are made to reflect changed development circumstances. These changes can be done for valid reasons, but can also be used to mask cost overruns and schedule delays. This report: (1) provides an update on these projects; (2) identifies OMB¿s efforts to improve the identification and oversight of these projects; and (3) summarizes the results of an IT project re-baselining report.

Information Technology: OMB and Agencies Need to Improve Planning, Management, and Oversight of Projects Totaling Billions of Dollars

The fed. gov't. anticipates spending $79 billion on info. tech. (IT) in FY 2011. The Office of Mgmt. and Budget (OMB) plays a key role in overseeing the implementation and mgmt. of federal IT investments. It is critical for OMB and federal agencies to provide appropriate program oversight and ensure adequate transparency. In 2009 OMB deployed a public Web site known as the IT Dashboard that provides detailed info. on 800 major federal IT investments, incl. assessments of these investments' performance against cost and schedule targets. This testimony discusses OMB's efforts to improve the oversight and mgmt. of federal IT investments through the use of the Dashboard and other efforts. Illus. This is a print on demand report.

The next admin. will fill thousands of positions across gov¿t.; there will be a number of new faces in Congress as well. Making these transitions as seamlessly as possible is pivotal to effectively and efficiently help accomplish the fed. govt¿s. many essential missions. The Presidential Transition Act points to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as a resource to incoming admin. The GAO is a source of briefings and other materials to help presidential appointees make the leap from campaigning to governing by informing them of the major mgmt. issues, risks, and challenges they will face. This testimony provides an overview of GAO¿s objectives for assisting the 111th Congress and the next admin. in their transition efforts.

The frequent failure of IT projects in the public sector suggests that significant underlying problems remain unsolved. IT projects typically involve a substantial commitment of resources and funds; consequently, project failure can result in the loss of not just the funds invested, but also of the benefits that would have been realized by successful implementation. The delivery of IT projects on time and on budget is inadequate to measure value realization. This research analyzes five Strategic Alignment (SA) perspectives that affect organizational performance in an Australian public agency when implementing IT projects: Organization Strategy (S), Knowledge (K), Decision-making (DM), Enterprise Architecture (EA) and Public Value Plan (PVP).This book shows how public IT decision-makers can realize the benefits of IT investment by effectively employing SA perspectives in IT management.