OMB's Judicious Use of Limited Resources
Are paperwork-generating bureaucratic exercises the best use of limited resources? No, according to OMB. Yes, according to GAO.

A recent GAO report criticized the Office of Management and Budget's supervision of federal IT projects. Specifically, GAO complained that OMB had not developed "a single aggregate list" of IT projects on its Management Watch List that would identify "the projects and their weaknesses" and that OMB "did not develop a structured, consistent process for deciding on how to follow up on corrective actions that it asked agencies to take..."

GAO's recommendation that OMB develop a centralized project list and prioritization criteria ignores the fact that OMB already has and utilizes specific criteria and consistent processes for analyzing and prioritizing problematic federal IT projects. The recommendation also ignores the fact that OMB uses "many strategic tools...in fulfilling its budget and policy oversight responsibilities." Furthermore, GAO provides no evidence that OMB's oversight of IT projects would benefit from their spending their limited resources on creating a single master project list and an accompanying set of rigid rules dictating follow-up actions.

OMB relies on the programmatic expertise of its concise professional staff. OMB desk officers have a detailed knowledge of agency operations and objectives and communicate on a regular with the agency officials who have primary management responsibility for the IT projects.

All IT projects are analyzed by OMB officials in a consistent manner based on the criteria specified in OMB Circular A-11. OMB scores each IT project based on the ten business case categories set forth in Circular A-11 including acquisition strategy, alternatives analysis, performance goals, and security and privacy. OMB uses these scores as well as other management tools, such as quarterly reports to OMB through the President's Management Agenda scorecard, in setting priorities and following up with agencies on various projects.

As OMB explained in their response to GAO, "OMB establishes priorities on a case-by-case, not a one-size-fits-all, basis."

Fixed rule and algorithm schemes have their appropriate place in accounting; however, when it comes to management, such methodologies can be inefficient and even counterproductive.

One last fact, staff – OMB: 490, GAO: 3,200.