Treasury’s FIT Office Leading the March to Financial Management Shared Services

OMB has tasked Treasury’s Office of Financial Innovation and Transformation (FIT) to assist in design, implementation, and improvement of federal financial management services shared service provider offerings.  Enhancements to the Federal Shared Services Provider’s (FSSP) framework are meant to stimulate larger agencies to move to a shared services environment for future modernization of core accounting systems.

OMB released a memo in March directing agencies to move their financial systems to a shared services environment.  

OMB is encouraging agencies to look to federal providers first, as opposed to commercial vendors.

OMB has been trying to incite agencies to adopt shared services for financial systems since 2004 with the advent of the Line of Business initiative.  The administration at the time named four federal agency shared services providers – DFAS, GSA, Interior’s Business Center, and Treasury’s Bureau of Public Debt.  Agencies were to move financial processes to one of these four SSPs when it came time to upgrade their current systems.  However, only small agencies made the leap.  Few large agencies made the change, and those that did, found if difficult.

OMB’s controller Danny Werfel stated in a March interview, that the past initiative was slated for agencies to move their entire financial systems to a provider, which became too complex.  The new effort is focused specifically on general ledger systems. 

FIT is playing a critical role in the migration effort by aiding OMB in assessing the current landscape of FSSPs and identify capability gaps, evaluating agency needs, identifying the need for additional FSSPs, and developing a strategy to address gaps.  FIT will also provide oversight for the effort by evaluating any new agency systems modernization plans, establishing a framework for agency migration efforts, maintaining core government-wide requirements, and facilitating the implementation of government-wide operational capabilities.

FIT recently launched a series of teleconferences to introduce the financial management shared services initiative to industry and explain how industry will be engaged throughout the process.  FIT is taking the lead in developing the marketplace where agencies can choose from financial service offerings, service delivery options, and purchase through SSP storefronts.  The ultimate goal is to launch a financial management product and services catalog by spring or early summer of 2014.  FIT will act as a liaison for agency customers, but they will buy directly from the provider.  FIT will work with agencies to develop a modernization timetable which will include the selection and migration to a SSP. 

Werfel expects it will take several years for SSPs to be able to meet all agencies’ financial system needs.  Enhancements to SSP service offerings will be added to the initial catalog and storefronts over time. 

-Angie Petty, GovWin.com
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Senate poised to confirm first DoD IG in nearly two years

The Senate Armed Services Committee took the next step to fill four vacancies in the Defense Department, including one that has been vacant for almost two years.

The department has been without a Senate-confirmed inspector general since December 2011.

President Barack Obama nominated current Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation IG Jon Rymer for the job. Rymer made his case Thursday during his confirmation hearing before the committee. Rymer has been the FDIC IG since 2006. He recently retired from the Army Reserve with more than 30 years of service between his active and reserve duty. He is a graduate of the Army's Inspector General School. His experience in the private sector includes seven years in consulting and interval auditing at a major accounting firm and 15 years as a senior manager in the banking industry.

While very familiar with the Army's prevention programs, Rymer said he believed the role of the IG is to provide oversight for the effectiveness of the programs in place and an analysis of the money spent by each of the services.

-Lauren Larson, FederalNewsRadio.com
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HHS Seeks Director for Office of Financial Policy and Reporting

The Office of Financial Policy and Reporting, under the general direction of the, and direct supervision by the Deputy Assistant Secretary - Finance, has primary responsibility for the development of Department-wide financial and accounting policies, principles, standards, and procedures; provides subject matter expertise on financial management policy and procedures; performs in a leadership and coordination role within the Office of Finance; and issues and communicates policies and procedures to the HHS CFO Community.

Job Title:Director, Office of Financial Policy and Reporting

Department:Department Of Health And Human Services

Agency:Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services

Job Announcement Number:HHS-ASFR-ES-13-911158

SALARY RANGE:	$119,554.00 to $179,700.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:	Monday, June 17, 2013 to Friday, August 30, 2013
SERIES & GRADE:	ES-0510-00
POSITION INFORMATION:	Full Time - Senior Executive Service (SES)

- USAJobs.gov
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