Page 6 - FCW, June 30, 2016

Trending
White House looks to save billions on software
The White House is directing agen- cies to look ahead to a more unified approach to software acquisition, choose chief software managers and inventory their existing software licenses.
U.S. CIO Tony Scott and Office of Federal Procurement Policy Admin- istrator Anne Rung have previously decried the billions spent annually on fragmented software purchases, and on June 2, they released an anticipated official guidance aimed at curbing that waste.
“The new policy is another step for- ward in implementing the president’s vision for a modern government, one that leverages private-sector best prac- tices to achieve a federal government that is smarter, savvier and more effective in delivering for the Ameri- can people,” they wrote in a blog post.
Within 45 days of the policy’s release, agency leaders must select a software manager who will report directly to the agency CIO. By Sept. 30, agencies must complete a baseline inventory of their software licenses and spending, and by the end of Novem- ber, they must start reporting to the Office of Management and Budget on the savings they are achieving from better software procurement practices.
Agencies will also need to follow the lead of the Enterprise Software Category Team, a joint production of the Defense Department, OMB and the General Services Administration.
In the coming months, the team will post model agreements and guidance, including service-level agreements and software-as-a-service best practices, on GSA’s Acquisition Gateway.
10 years of U.S. Digital Service operations would be authorized by a bill introduced
by Rep. Suzan DelBene
Watchdog: Defense health IT upgrade risks delays
6 June 30, 2016 FCW.COM
— Zach Noble
The Defense Healthcare Manage- ment System Modernization program could miss its December 2016 dead- line for initial operational capability, the Defense Department’s inspector general said in a recent report.
In July 2015, DOD signed a $4.3 bil- lion deal for a health records modern- ization push to the team of Leidos, Accenture and Cerner. The contract is expected to cost $11 billion over its life cycle.
The IG report notes that DOD con- ducted a risk mitigation sweep, but the project could still be delayed by security concerns, the need for user training and the challenge of getting new interfaces working properly with legacy systems.
The Leidos team touted interoper- ability and familiarity with military health IT ahead of last year’s con- tract award. In its former incarnation as part of SAIC, Leidos designed the Composite Health Care System now
in use at military hospitals and treat- ment centers.
Leidos also runs one of the mili- tary’s current electronic health records, the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application.
The DOD IG recommended that the Program Executive Office for Defense Healthcare Management Systems con- duct a schedule analysis to assess DHMSM’s potential for setbacks.
Officials did not agree or disagree with that recommendation, the IG said.
“The program office is confident that it will achieve initial operational capability later this year in accordance with the National Defense Authoriza- tion Act,” the IG’s report states. “How- ever, the program executive officer did not provide documentation to support his statement.”
DOD officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
— Zach Noble
INK TANK