The General Services Administration’s (GSA) Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced today its latest round of investments, totaling $50.2 million, aimed at modernizing critical customer experience services across two Federal agencies.
In this new round of investments, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will receive $19.8 million in TMF funding and the Social Security Administration (SSA) will receive $30.4 million.
HUD will use its TMF funding to implement a comprehensive Enterprise Identity, Credential, and Access Management (EICAM) solution.
According to the announcement by GSA, HUD’s current digital infrastructure – which manages over 230 system applications accessed by approximately 10,000 internal users and 540,000 external users – “is inefficient and struggles to keep pace with evolving security threats and user needs.”
The modernization efforts will include strengthened security governance, enhanced system access controls, increased productivity efficiencies, improved customer satisfaction, and operational cost savings achieved through the decommissioning of legacy systems.
“Through the EICAM project, we are not just upgrading technology; we are transforming our organizational culture to prioritize security and efficiency at every level,” said HUD Chief Information Security Officer Gregg Kendrick. “This initiative will enhance our overall security posture through rigorous training and a shift in management practices to promote shared accountability.”
As for the Social Security Administration (SSA), it will receive $19.5 million to transition to a “more efficient, user-friendly service featuring electronic signature capabilities and a robust online document upload platform.”
According to GSA, reliance on paper-based processes has resulted in long queues, strained resources, and significant burdens on claimants, beneficiaries, and those assisting with applications.
With the help of the TMF investment, SSA “anticipates reducing paper mail volume by roughly half and saving over 600 staff work years annually” by 2028.
“We’re eliminating as many pain points as possible across forms that Americans use most often, and the TMF funds will help us accelerate that work,” said Martin O’Malley, SSA commissioner. “This means faster and more error-free processing and better service to our customers, which Americans deserve.”
Additionally, SSA will receive $9 million in TMF funds to create user-centered design guidance, build new digital tools, and modernize current backend systems for an enhanced customer experience. This effort aims to improve the customer experience by simplifying notice language, expanding digital options for receiving notices, and transforming how SSA interacts with applicants and beneficiaries.
SSA will also receive $1.9 million to use artificial intelligence to support disability claim processing and enhance several key systems, including the National Case Processing System and the Intelligent Medical-Language Analysis Generation tool.
