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Connolly: Lack of Trump Appointees Could Stall IT Modernization

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Connolly: Lack of Trump Appointees Could Stall IT Modernization http://www.federaltimes.com/articles/connolly-worries-lack-of-trump-appointees-could-stall-it- modernization Connolly: Lack of Trump appointees could stall IT modernization By: Carten Cordell, June 7, 2017 For all of the bipartisan goodwill that modernizing the government’s information technology has garnered, there’s one thing that Gerry Connolly thinks can bring it to a halt: the executive branch. Speaking at the MeriTalk’s Cloud for Next-Gen Government conference on June 7, Rep. Connolly, D-Va., said that despite the legislative momentum behind the Modernizing Government Technology Act and White House support through recent executive orders, the movement to upgrade federal IT could still stall if the Trump administration doesn’t start appointing personnel to back it. “Frankly, there’s a big vacuum at the top,” he said. “We had hoped that the incoming administration might keep non-political technical people that were providing leadership in IT procurement and management like [former Federal Chief Information Officer] Tony Scott on board. They did not do that, and as a result, there is not really a champion at the top where you can say, ‘That’s his job or her job.’” According to the Partnership for Public Service, to date, of the 558 administration positions requiring Senate confirmation, the White House has nominated 80, with only 40 confirmed. MeriTalk founder Steve O’Keeffe noted at the event that only a third of the cabinet-level agencies had a CIO in place. The Trump administration’s IT modernization efforts have been platooned by a number of executives, including acting Federal CIO Margie Graves, Assistant for Intragovernmental and Technology Initiatives Reed Cordish and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who heads up the Office of American Innovation. Connolly noted that while Kushner is tasked with making the government more innovative — including by supporting modernization — his other administration roles may have drawn focus away from the mission. “In his spare time, when he is not solving Middle East peace, he’s apparently going to be in charge of government reorganization,” Connolly said, in a jab at Trump’s endorsement of Kushner as a quasi-diplomat for the administration. “I don’t think IT procurement and management are at the top of his list. So, we have that vacuum, and that is of concern because we are losing time.” The Virginia congressman said he anticipates the Senate to take up the MGT Act in July, and — should it pass — the bill would build on the progress of Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act, or FITARA, to give the government a framework for the government to acquire and manage modern IT. “The jury’s out on where the Trump administration is going to be in terms of providing vigorous leadership to build on the progress we have made,” he said. The White House has signaled its support for IT modernization almost immediately after assuming office and have tied upgrade efforts to its agency reorganization and cybersecurity executive orders, fiscal 2018 budget and has tasked the OAI office and the new American Technology Council with it. Connolly acknowledged the commitment shown by the administration, but said that without the personnel to carry it out, the initiatives may go nowhere. “We welcome any attention coming from this administration about the sort of portfolio of issues we are talking about,” he said. “The key is always going to be follow-up. Candidly, executive orders today are a dime a dozen. “Will there be follow-up? If you don’t have a team in place, I don’t know how you do that.” +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2017/06/office-american-innovation-omb-collaborating-it- modernization/138488/?oref=govexec_today_nl Office of American Innovation, OMB Seek 'Early Wins' for IT Modernization By Mohana Ravindranath June 7, 2017 President Donald Trump hasn’t yet nominated a federal chief information officer, prompting critics to question how highly he prioritizes modernizing government technology. But in his first few months in office, his administration has taken steps to update federal IT; his newly created White House Office of American Innovation meets regularly with the Office of Management and Budget’s Federal Deputy Chief Information Officer Margie Graves. The Office of American Innovation, a new team Trump created this year directed by his son-in- law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, has been described internally as a “SWAT team” bringing private-sector practices into government. Members include Chris Liddell, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, and Reed Cordish, the president’s assistant for intergovernmental and technology initiatives. There is “significant coordination” between that team and OMB’s Office of the CIO, Graves said at a Wednesday event hosted by FCW, including weekly Friday meetings about a 90-day modernization sprint focusing on cybersecurity, citizen-facing services and the technology that supports those. OMB is also convening a board that could oversee the allocation of funding for IT modernization projects, as well as the technology talent pipeline into government. The Modernizing Government Technology Act, passed by the House, would create working capital funds federal agencies could use for their own modernization efforts, in addition to a governmentwide fund the General Services Administration would dole out to federal applicants. “We’re seeing no indications that this is anything but a bipartisan or even nonpartisan play,” Graves said. The central fund proposed in the MGT Act, up to $250 million, could “give an uplift” to technology programs needing a boost, and can be directed to efforts consolidating services so agencies can share them. The board OMB is convening would be chaired by the federal CIO, though administrative responsibilities would fall to GSA. OMB Director Mick Mulvaney is slated to appoint several other members from federal agencies and from the White House, Graves said. There are currently about seven members. OMB is also looking to business leaders and venture capital investors for advice about how they choose which companies to invest in, as well as to agencies with grant-making authority. The goal is to “show early wins,” to persuade Congress that IT modernization efforts are working, she explained, especially in a way that doesn’t tie funding into federal budget cycles. .
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