Most of the largest Federal agencies hung steady with their grading in the latest edition of the FITARA (Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act) Scorecard issued by the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Tuesday, although five agencies saw their grades decline versus only three agencies that notched higher scores.
The 11th edition of the FITARA Scorecard issued by the Oversight and Reform Committee’s Government Operations Subcommittee shows that 16 of the 24 Federal agencies earned identical grades compared to the previous scorecard issued in August. The scorecard, which the committee assembles with input from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), tracks progress by the 24 Federal CFO Act agencies on an evolving range of IT fronts.
All agencies earned grades in the “B” and “C” range – the two agencies that received “A” grades in the prior scorecard saw their overall grades decline. Unlike on several earlier scorecards over the past five years, no agency received a failing grade.
A significant factor in grades that did change is the committee’s inclusion of a grading category reflecting agency progress in switching expiring Networx telecommunications contracts to the General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract. The previous edition of the scorecard previewed the addition of the EIS progress category, but did not count it towards agency grades. In addition, the committee has eliminated from the scorecard the MEGABYTE software licensing grading category, after 23 of 24 agencies scored an “A” grade in that category earlier this year.
Beyond EIS contract progress, grading categories for the latest edition of the scorecard include CIO authority enhancements; transparency and risk management; portfolio review; Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI); Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act; cybersecurity; and whether the CIO reports to the agency head of deputy.
The easiest way to make sense of the committee’s multicolored scorecard is to view MeriTalk’s FITARA Dashboard.
Three Agencies Improved
Alone among the 24 agencies reviewed, three agencies saw their scores rise:
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rose to a “B” from a “C-” grade;
Department of Labor rose by a one full grade, to a “B-” mark; and
Department of Veterans Affairs jumped by a full grade, to a “B+” mark.
Five Agencies Declined
A total of five agencies received lower grades this time around, each dropping a full letter grade:
Commerce Department fell to a “C+”;
GSA dropped to a “B+”;
Small Business Administration declined to a “C+”;
Social Security Administration dropped to a “C+”; and
U.S. Agency for International Development declined to a “B” grade.
16 Agencies Held Steady
The remaining 16 agencies maintained the same grades from the previous scorecard issued in August:
Agriculture Department earned a “B+”;
Defense Department earned a “C+”;
Education Department earned a “B+”;
Energy Department earned a “C+”;
Homeland Security Department earned a “C”;
Housing and Urban Development earned a “C+”;
Interior Department earned a “C+”;
Justice Department earned a “C-”;
State Department earned a “C-”;
Transportation Department earned “C+”;
Treasury Department earned a “B”;
Environmental Protection Agency earned a “B+”;
NASA earned a “C+”;
National Science Foundation earned a “B+”;
Nuclear Regulatory Commission earned a “C-”; and
Office of Personnel Management earned a “C+” grade.
