2.1 Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (2014)

2.1 Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (2014)

The Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), passed in December 2014, strengthened the role of agency CIOs and provided greater accountability for the delivery of IT capabilities across the Federal Government. To assist with agency implementation, OMB released OMB Memorandum M-15-14: Management and Oversight of Federal Information Technology (OMB M-15-14. Management and Oversight of Federal Information Technology. 6/10/2015) in June 2015.

FITARA outlines specific requirements related to:

1. Agency CIO Authority Enhancements
2. Enhanced Transparency and Improved Risk Management in IT Investments
3. Portfolio Review
4. Data Center Consolidation Initiative (OMB M-19-19. Update to Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI). 6/25/2019)
5. Expansion of Training and Use of IT Cadres
6. Maximizing the Benefit of the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative
7. Governmentwide Software Purchasing Program

Among other provisions, FITARA codified elements of existing Federal CIO initiatives. In addition, FITARA requires the Federal CIO, in conjunction with federal agencies, to:

• Refocus the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative (FDCCI) from consolidation to optimization, to include adoption of cloud services;
• Set forth a process for agency IT portfolio review and oversight;
• Improve transparency and risk management of IT investments;
• Identify and publish cost savings and optimization improvements;
• Provide public updates on cumulative cost savings and optimization improvements; and
• Review agencies’ data center inventories and management strategies.

FITARA requires federal agencies to submit annual reports that include:

• Comprehensive data center inventories,
• Multiyear strategies to consolidate and optimize data centers,
• Performance metrics and a timeline for agency action, and
• Yearly calculations of investment and cost savings related to FITARA implementation. (Congressional Research Service. The Current State of Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform and Management. 2/03/2020)

See Reporting Calendar for additional information on FITARA reporting activities.