OMB flags 26 big-budget IT projects

The projects were chosen based on their priority, cost and risk of delays or cost overruns. The Office of Management and Budget met individually with chief information officers from 27 of the largest federal agencies between Aug. 2 and Aug. 18 to identify projects for the review. Kundra said budget cuts are not out of the question.

“[We’re] going through the process of looking at how [these projects] are performing,” Kundra said. “If they are not adding value … we are not going to continue to throw good money after bad money.”

Some industry groups have privately questioned the approach, arguing that stopping the IT projects could cost the government time and expertise that would be shifted to other endeavors. They have also expressed concern about the uncertainty the review process will cause for contractors.

Kundra clarified that not all the projects are being halted, though some including Sentinel and the retirement systems modernization have stopped work. He said OMB relied on reports from inspector generals, the Government Accountability Office and the individual chief information officers to determine what projects to review. Lawmakers also weighed in on the projects they considered too important to cut.

Kundra also credited the IT Spending Dashboard with providing some of the cost and schedule data used to flag troubled projects. He admitted the administration has dealt with multiple challenges regarding the accuracy of the data on the Dashboard, but said the site has evolved over time.