Editor’s Note: In a new report attached here, GAO noted that “OMB has taken significant steps to enhance the oversight, transparency, and accountability of federal IT investments by creating its IT Dashboard, and by improving the accuracy of investment ratings.” The GAO report, “OMB and Agencies Need to Fully Implement Major Initiatives to Save Billions of Dollars” however, went on to state:
there were issues with the accuracy and reliability of cost and schedule data in the Dashboard, and GAO has recommended steps that OMB and agencies should take to improve these data—this is important since the Dashboard reports 190 investments totaling almost $12.5 billion being at risk.
With a massive budget deficit and inevitable cuts, it is essential that OMB data and agency data OMB is responsible for, be accurate. The problems with OMB’s IT Dashboard closely follow a regulatory watchdog’s finding of serious problems with the accuracy of the Unified Regulatory Agenda. It was in recognition of the great importance of Federal data being accurate, reliable, objective and useful that Congress created the Data Quality Act giving affected persons the right to “seek and obtain” correction of data not meeting OMB’s government-wide Data Quality standards.
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