Enhancing the impact of Technology Modernization Fund
Developing connections across the TMF and with larger IT investment programs will yield sustained positive outcomes for the government.
By Dan Chenok, Margaret Graves
May 11, 2021
Last week, the Office of Management and Budget issued new guidance regarding priorities and processes for agencies to submit proposals for the Technology Modernization Fund that support the American Rescue Plan Act. The guidance provides important insights on how the TMF can be leveraged to address mission objectives.
The TMF’s allocation of $1 billion under the ARP links technology investment to the broad set of modernization needs in agencies, with the OMB guidance focused on four critical areas that also connect with other key funding priorities in the ARP:
Biden administration officials announced on Tuesday that payback requirements will be relaxed for some projects funded by the recent $1 billion addition to the Technology Modernization Fund. Administrators want urgently needed upgrades that help respond to the pandemic or improve the cybersecurity of federal agencies.
Quick Hits President Joe Biden praised civil servants on Wednesday during a virtual event hosted by the
Partnership for Public Service to recognize finalists for the Sammies – the annual Samuel J. Heyman Service to America medal given in recognition of exceptional civil servants and their accomplishments. Every day, hundreds of thousands of public servants and their families are reminding us that our government isn t some foreign force in the distant capital, Biden said. These awards aren t just the Oscars of public service, they re a reminder that public service is a noble, impactful profession. And I hope that it’ll encourage more young people to
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Office of Management and Budget is seeking public comment on the implementation of the Biden Administration s day-one executive order titled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. OMB s request includes a section on federal procurement. Under the order, agencies will need to assess opportunities to direct more procurement and contracting dollars to underserved individuals and communities so that a broad cross-section of American businesses can share in the jobs and opportunities created by federal buying activities, the comment request states. OMB is looking for suggestions on making the federal procurement system more equitable and how to measure equity and inequity in contracting decisions at the prime and subcontracting levels.
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The Biden administration will prioritize cybersecurity in its $1 billion IT modernization grant program for federal agencies, which will be overseen by the General Services Administration and the Office of Management and Budget.
In March, Congress allocated $1 billion for federal IT modernization project grants as part of the American Rescue Plan - the $2 trillion economic relief package signed by President Joe Biden. That measure also includes $650 million in funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to address security issues (see:
Grants disbursed by GSA and OMB under the new Technology Modernization Fund will focus on projects that address cybersecurity improvement as well as other shortcomings in IT systems. The two agencies also will take into consideration projects that deal with improving public-facing federal services and cross-agency collaboration programs.