Senators tell OMB to fix IT Dashboard

Lawmakers emphasized Tuesday that the site’s data must be improved before it can be relied upon.

“Agencies must do a better job of supplying OMB with correct data and OMB needs to improve its calculations and rating systems,” said chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).

“If the IT Dashboard works the way it was intended, the federal government could see billions of dollars in savings and a significant reduction in waste.”

The report attributes some of the inaccuracies to the way OMB analyzes
the data, specifically it faults the agency’s formula for not putting
enough emphasis on current performance.

“We have already seen hundreds of millions of dollars wasted by the federal government due to poorly planned and poorly managed IT projects,” said ranking member Susan Collins (R-Maine). “I urge OMB to quickly implement GAO’s recommendations.”

Sen. Thomas Carper (D-Del.) said he and Collins plan to re-introduce a version of the IT oversight bill they have championed in the past, which would increase oversight and reporting requirements for major federal information technology projects.

He credited the Dashboard for increasing the amount of information available to the public but also emphasized that improvements are needed.

“Things are better, but still not perfect,” Carper said. “That’s why I urge the Administration to quickly make good on their promise to improve the ‘IT Dashboard’ and fix the problems found by the Government Accountability Office in their report.”