A proposal by Rep. Darrell Issa, Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, seeks to eliminate the kind of governmental waste both of the Presidential candidates have pledged to eliminate. Backed by the ranking member of the IT subcommittee, Rep. Gerry Connolly, the proposal plans to save about $20 billion that is currently wasted supporting outdated technology by giving CIO’s of Federal agencies more authority with their IT programs and encouraging collective government IT procurement. Critics of the proposal note its limited scope and claim it would create more bureaucracy. The Department of Defense (DoD) is a conspicuous absence from the proposal even though it accounts for roughly half of the government’s $80 billion annual IT budget and is a major source of the waste the proposed law strives to eliminate. While the scope of the proposed law is not as expansive as some hoped, it has nonetheless received support from the private sector because it requires "active engagement with the private sector to use up-to-date commercial technologies and to remove unnecessary burdens on industry in its interactions with the government." Regardless of whether this proposal becomes law, it is an exciting step on the path to a more efficient and cost-effective commercial interaction between government agencies and the private sector.
Wow! As if this time of year wasn’t already brimming with innovative ideas and exciting possibilities. This proposal is a great way for government agencies to save money by leaving expensive obsolete technologies behind to embrace the current tools of doing business. Businesses selling to the government will benefit from agencies improved ability to rely on each other’s expertise and collaborative purchasing. We are looking forward to see what happens when this proposal is introduced in early 2013. What do you think?
