A new update to the Sharing Quality Services cross-agency priority (CAP) goal, released June 20, lays out the timeline for the currently designated quality services management offices (QSMOs), and hints at three more areas for the new, centralized approach to shared services.
In addition to the four areas designated in April – cybersecurity services, civilian human resources transactions, core financial management, and grants management – the CAP Goal update includes three additional areas on the path to a shared services approach:
- Contract Writing Systems – managed by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- Travel Systems – managed by the General Services Administration (GSA)
- Electronic Records Management – managed by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
The update shows where QSMO agencies are in developing a Federal Integrated Business Framework (FBIF), which is the new method agencies will use to measure their progress on shared services. The framework covers the business lifecycle, business capabilities, business use cases, standard data elements, and performance metrics.
The update also notes that the four initial areas are set to submit a five-year plan to GSA and the Shared Services Governance Board for review by Q1 of fiscal year 2020, and OMB aims to have the final designation decision made for each QSMO in FY2020. Currently, the four initial areas of cybersecurity, human resources transactions, core financial management, and grants management are still in the assessment and pre-designation phase. While the three new areas are not yet at the pre-designation phase, the assigned QSMO agencies are developing FBIFs, hinting at future implementation of a shared services approach.
However, QSMO agencies are on different tracks to full implementation, as the update shows. The update includes information on where each QSMO is on developing these elements of their FBIFs, showing that core financial management and grants management are the furthest along in developing their plan. Additionally, cybersecurity has the most work ahead, with electronic records management needing a bit of development on its framework.
All QSMOs will need to develop FBIFs for their focus area, but the due dates from OMB range from Q4 of FY2019 for core financial management and grants management to “TBD” for the cybersecurity services QSMO. Except for cybersecurity, all QSMOs have a due date by at least Q3 of FY2020.
In addition to the three QSMOs added in this update, the document highlights areas under consideration for a shared services approach, including customer experience, FOIA, and assisted acquisition.