OMB has issued guidance directing agencies to carry out “PortfolioStat ” reviews of their IT projects and programs to assess the maturity of their IT portfolio management processes.
PortfolioStats are modeled on OMB’s TechStat review process, which it has established to check IT projects to determine whether to modify, combine or terminate them. This broader “face-to-face, evidence-based review” of portfolios will examine data on commodity IT investments, potential duplications, and investments that do not appear to be well aligned to agency missions or business functions.
OMB is calling on agencies to use the process to identify opportunities to consolidate the acquisition and management of commodity IT services and to increase the use of shared-service delivery models, and is requiring agency COOs to lead agency-wide IT portfolio reviews to that end.
It is also looking to the PortfolioStat review process to implement the administration’s “shared first” initiative set forth in executive order 13589 “Promoting Efficient Spending,” targeting employee IT devices as a primary area for eliminating waste and duplication.
OMB is hoping the reviews help agencies meet targets and requirements of other initiatives including an ongoing data center consolidation effort, cloud computing initiative and a draft IT shared services strategy.
