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MARK FORMAN is Commentary|BY MARK FORMAN vicepresidentofdigital
government strategy at SAIC.
IT modernization for the COVID era
Crises are clarifying events, and the pandemic is making clear the limits of IT systems built for a different era
In the past, agency applications
were generally form-based,
“check the box” approaches. Their highly customized software and interfaces constrain the ability to deploy program modifications and collaborate with related programs. Trying to do today’s work with these legacy approaches can place an incredible burden on the government workforce, often requiring excessive manual labor to check individual data files, assemble data across disconnected systems and review reams of forms.
In normal circumstances, this difficult, time-consuming process causes delays and frustration for employees and citizens. With the rapid growth in pandemic workloads, only a fraction of the manual work gets done. Errors, fraud, waste and abuse are inevitable.
The good news is that technology and modern business practices
are available to help meet these challenges and fix the user experience. CIOs need to drive a two- pronged approach: 1) triage using automation powered by artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics to reduce or eliminate manual, non-value activities, such
as reporting and coordinating information across disparate systems, and 2) digitize processes using cloud- native services and low-code/no-code platforms to replace custom-built applications.
The policy framework is already in place. The Cloud Smart strategy sets the course for leveraging high-
quality services that are continuously modernized; the Evidence-Based Policymaking Act focuses programs on enhancing data and decision- making for better results; and the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act requires agencies
to focus on the user experience in digitizing government. Now Congress and the executive branch must fund modernization of the business of government, not just IT.
Currently, only 20% to 25%
Congress and the executive branch must fund modernization of the business of government, not just IT.
of annual IT spending goes to modernization. Congress can begin to implement a more forward- looking vision of government by targeting modernization funding, starting with the worst performing
or most inefficient programs. It should embrace the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) and agency working capital funds to drive truly transformative efforts.
Modernization funding will need to add to ongoing sustainment funding. Legacy systems can’t be turned off or security patches stopped while new
systems are built. Asking agencies
to modernize by underfunding operational budgets has not and will not get us to the future-state we need.
Agencies must define a roadmap for IT modernization that is tied directly to delivering mission benefits and serving citizens. Ensuring that agencies are pursuing targeted, executable strategies
will bring maximum value to the taxpayer. Congress and the Office
of Management and Budget should incentivize and fund projects that
can yield citizen-centered benefits by leveraging cross-agency collaboration and pushing against inefficient, parochial initiatives.
It is also important that these goals be realistic and achievable. No agency can reasonably be expected to absorb too much change too quickly. My analysis of fiscal 2021
IT spending shows that only about 17% of the more than 500 major IT investments were new systems; that’s less than four per Cabinet-level agency. Could that be doubled so that one-third of IT spending would modernize government?
Putting 1980s-era business processes on new technology will not meet our 21st-century needs. By investing in new technologies that are designed to achieve strategic, forward-looking outcomes, we can reimagine the way government works. That is how we can deliver the modernization our country needs to meet the pandemic challenges
of today and the public needs of tomorrow. n
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