Federal agencies graded on the Bush administration's quarterly management score card continue to have mixed results in the area of expanding electronic government. But progress on the final fiscal 2006 score card could represent a turning point for several agencies.
Four moved out of the failing red category in e-government: the Environmental Protection Agency, Small Business Administration, and State and Transportation departments. The turnarounds at Transportation and SBA were particularly noteworthy because the agencies jumped up two levels, from red to the top mark of green.
Three agencies -- the Agriculture and Health and Human Services departments and NASA -- fell from yellow to red. Another 10 agencies are at the middle mark of yellow.
The Army Corps of Engineers and Homeland Security Department have never moved out of red in the e-government category, and the Veterans Affairs Department has not moved higher since the fourth quarter of fiscal 2004.
Agencies' grades are based on a set of standards developed by the President's Management Council.
To achieve a green e-government grade, agencies must show that they have an effective enterprise architecture describing the structure of their IT processes and systems. They also need adequate IT security and acceptable business cases for all major system investments. None of the business cases can be on the "management watch list." They must also comply with the lines of business initiatives to consolidate back-end technology systems in areas such as financial management.
Agencies that score red have an inadequate enterprise architecture, unacceptable business cases for more than half of major IT investments, and inadequate compliance with IT security policies and procedures.
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Showing posts with label Army. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Army. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Accenture completes first phase of new Army financial system
Accenture has announced the completion of the first phase of the Army’s new financial management system, known as the General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS), at Fort Jackson, S.C.
GFEBS is designed to help the Army standardize and streamline its financial business processes and provide continuous access to accurate, reliable and timely information across the service.
The new system is based on off-the-shelf software from SAP, Accenture said.
A technology demonstration at Fort Jackson in July proved GFEBS’ ability to meet the information requirements needed to operate and support the management of Real Property Inventory, part of the Army’s general fund. It also indicated that the system could perform real property inventory effectively as a single solution, although that is just one of the functions the system is designed to do when fully implemented.
GFEBS will manage the Army’s general fund, providing information to more than 79,000 users in more than 200 locations worldwide and giving Army decision-makers real-time data on the full range of financial and budgetary matters.
The GFEBS project, which began in July 2005, is slated for a 10-year global deployment and operations schedule. When completed, it will replace several Army systems, including the Standard Army Finance System and the Standard Operation and Maintenance Army Research and Development System.
READ MORE...
GFEBS is designed to help the Army standardize and streamline its financial business processes and provide continuous access to accurate, reliable and timely information across the service.
The new system is based on off-the-shelf software from SAP, Accenture said.
A technology demonstration at Fort Jackson in July proved GFEBS’ ability to meet the information requirements needed to operate and support the management of Real Property Inventory, part of the Army’s general fund. It also indicated that the system could perform real property inventory effectively as a single solution, although that is just one of the functions the system is designed to do when fully implemented.
GFEBS will manage the Army’s general fund, providing information to more than 79,000 users in more than 200 locations worldwide and giving Army decision-makers real-time data on the full range of financial and budgetary matters.
The GFEBS project, which began in July 2005, is slated for a 10-year global deployment and operations schedule. When completed, it will replace several Army systems, including the Standard Army Finance System and the Standard Operation and Maintenance Army Research and Development System.
READ MORE...
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Watchdog group previews federal spending search tool
A watchdog group previewed a federal spending search tool Tuesday, providing a glimpse into a new system designed to provide user-friendly public access to federal contract and grant information.
The search tool gathers federal contract data from the Federal Procurement Data System and information on federal assistance such as grants, direct payments and loans from the Federal Assistance Award Data System. It resembles a system required under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. That measure, which President Bush signed into law last week, drew bipartisan support fueled by the backing of an army of bloggers.
The system previewed Tuesday was developed by Washington, D.C.-based OMB Watch. It will be formally launched next Tuesday at www.FedSpending.org.
The system was developed over six months for less than $100,000, according to the group, and is intended to function as a benchmark for the newly mandated government system, as well as a public resource. The government system is slated to receive $9 million in its first two years and $2 million annually thereafter for maintenance, and is subject to requirements for how data must be presented that could make it harder to implement.
The FedSpending.org search tool provides separate tabs for queries on federal contracts and grants. In the contractor panel, users can choose among search options grouped into the broad categories of contractor, place of performance or contracting agency, with additional options for competition type and the item purchased. By clicking on the menu items, users can call up tables, generated in real time from the contracts database, of companies, states, districts or other data fields.
The search tool gathers federal contract data from the Federal Procurement Data System and information on federal assistance such as grants, direct payments and loans from the Federal Assistance Award Data System. It resembles a system required under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. That measure, which President Bush signed into law last week, drew bipartisan support fueled by the backing of an army of bloggers.
The system previewed Tuesday was developed by Washington, D.C.-based OMB Watch. It will be formally launched next Tuesday at www.FedSpending.org.
The system was developed over six months for less than $100,000, according to the group, and is intended to function as a benchmark for the newly mandated government system, as well as a public resource. The government system is slated to receive $9 million in its first two years and $2 million annually thereafter for maintenance, and is subject to requirements for how data must be presented that could make it harder to implement.
The FedSpending.org search tool provides separate tabs for queries on federal contracts and grants. In the contractor panel, users can choose among search options grouped into the broad categories of contractor, place of performance or contracting agency, with additional options for competition type and the item purchased. By clicking on the menu items, users can call up tables, generated in real time from the contracts database, of companies, states, districts or other data fields.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Millions in Iraq contracts awarded to 'dummy vendor'
"A review of Iraq reconstruction funding revealed that 96 contracts worth $362 million were obligated for payment to 'Dummy Vendor,' as opposed to a legitimate supplier.
The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction discovered the contract entries in the Army Corps of Engineers' financial management system during a review of agreements signed under the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund 2, a three-year appropriation that expires Sept. 30. Officials with the IG office determined that the contracts were not properly obligated and will be lost at the end of the month.
In discussions with Army Corps financial managers, investigators learned that the vendor name was used in the contracting system to allow the entry of data where a specific vendor did not exist. That field has since been modified so that Dummy Vendor is not allowed as an entry, they said.
'We do not believe in using this term there was any attempt to mislead on the true status of obligations,' the investigators wrote in their report, SIGIR-06-037. The obligations were recorded between November 2004 and August 2006, and none have been used for actual disbursements.
The funds were obligated by the Army Corps' Gulf region division project and contracting office in five categories: contingency; design/build program close out; public works center costs; supervision and administration; and claims and unknown.
Investigators recommended that the Army Corps either act immediately to obligate the funds properly or seek to have them extended legally. But the Army Corps chief financial officer responded last week that the contracting office would be advised to deobligate the funds afunds, the money would be available for five fiscal years for in-scope modifications, contract close-out and cost overruns. As expired funds, the money would be available for five fiscal years for in-scope modifications, contract close-out and cost overruns.
READ MORE..."
The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction discovered the contract entries in the Army Corps of Engineers' financial management system during a review of agreements signed under the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund 2, a three-year appropriation that expires Sept. 30. Officials with the IG office determined that the contracts were not properly obligated and will be lost at the end of the month.
In discussions with Army Corps financial managers, investigators learned that the vendor name was used in the contracting system to allow the entry of data where a specific vendor did not exist. That field has since been modified so that Dummy Vendor is not allowed as an entry, they said.
'We do not believe in using this term there was any attempt to mislead on the true status of obligations,' the investigators wrote in their report, SIGIR-06-037. The obligations were recorded between November 2004 and August 2006, and none have been used for actual disbursements.
The funds were obligated by the Army Corps' Gulf region division project and contracting office in five categories: contingency; design/build program close out; public works center costs; supervision and administration; and claims and unknown.
Investigators recommended that the Army Corps either act immediately to obligate the funds properly or seek to have them extended legally. But the Army Corps chief financial officer responded last week that the contracting office would be advised to deobligate the funds afunds, the money would be available for five fiscal years for in-scope modifications, contract close-out and cost overruns. As expired funds, the money would be available for five fiscal years for in-scope modifications, contract close-out and cost overruns.
READ MORE..."
Friday, September 01, 2006
DoD Financial Management Improves, But Problems Remain - 31 Aug 2006
"AccountingWEB.com - August 31, 2006 - Dozens of Army reservists and National Guardsmen received checks totaling more than $900,000, despite failing to report for duty, according to Congressional investigators.
A separate investigation found that the Pentagon has issued checks to the deceased former spouses of military retirees.
Payment problems are just part of the huge financial management challenges faced by an agency as large as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). DoD has assets and liabilities that exceed those of Exxon, IBM, Ford and Wal-Mart combined, Government Computer News reported. Its operating budget is more than $400 billion. Improvements, considering the number of players and layers of bureaucracy involved, can take years.
The House Government Reform Committee has been scrutinizing military payroll systems, asking GAO to probe complaints that some troops have been underpaid, that their checks have been delayed, and other problems. The Senate is also pressuring DoD to improve.
The country’s top auditor, Comptroller General of the United States David Walker, noted progress at a recent Senate hearing. He pointed to DoD’s development of a plan to improve financial practices and its work on computer modernization, Government Computer News reported.
The department says it has modernized 200 business systems, saving $1 million with each upgrade. Also, 95 percent of DoD’s vendor payments now are done electronically, up from 86 percent in 2001, saving more than $6 million.
“The approach that they are taking now is vastly superior to the approach that they were taking before,” Walker told lawmakers."
A separate investigation found that the Pentagon has issued checks to the deceased former spouses of military retirees.
Payment problems are just part of the huge financial management challenges faced by an agency as large as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). DoD has assets and liabilities that exceed those of Exxon, IBM, Ford and Wal-Mart combined, Government Computer News reported. Its operating budget is more than $400 billion. Improvements, considering the number of players and layers of bureaucracy involved, can take years.
The House Government Reform Committee has been scrutinizing military payroll systems, asking GAO to probe complaints that some troops have been underpaid, that their checks have been delayed, and other problems. The Senate is also pressuring DoD to improve.
The country’s top auditor, Comptroller General of the United States David Walker, noted progress at a recent Senate hearing. He pointed to DoD’s development of a plan to improve financial practices and its work on computer modernization, Government Computer News reported.
The department says it has modernized 200 business systems, saving $1 million with each upgrade. Also, 95 percent of DoD’s vendor payments now are done electronically, up from 86 percent in 2001, saving more than $6 million.
“The approach that they are taking now is vastly superior to the approach that they were taking before,” Walker told lawmakers."
Monday, August 14, 2006
FCW.com - GAO: DOD modernization needs leadership
"The Defense Department maintains more than 3,700 business systems at a cost of about $16 billion per year. But the massive effort to modernize and integrate these systems lacks a clear strategy and direct leadership, according to the Government Accountability Office.
In written testimony submitted Aug. 3 to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security Subcommittee, GAO Comptroller General David Walker criticized the long-standing problems in DOD's management of its business transformation.
'DOD's pervasive financial and business management problems adversely affect the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of its operations, and have resulted in a lack of adequate accountability across all major business areas,' Walker said.
To illustrate the point, GAO identified three weaknesses in DOD's financial management and business operations. The department has been unjustly pursuing debt collection for battle-injured soldiers; it cannot account for inventory shipped to repair contractors; and it is unable to properly track costs for the ongoing war on terror, according to the testimony.
'Neither DOD nor Congress know how much the war was costing and how appropriated funds were spent, or have historical data useful in considering future funding needs,' Walker said.
Weaknesses in financial management have several ill effects. DOD is less able to control costs, justify budgets, gauge performance and discourage fraud, he said. In a 2004 report, GAO said the department misreported costs for mobilizing Army reservists by 30 percent, or $2.1 billion.
DOD has taken steps to organize departmentwide business transformation, establishing the Defense Business Systems Management Committee in February 2005 and establishing the Business Transformation Agency last October. To address financial management, the department released its Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness Plan in December 2005 and has developed its Standard Financial Information Structure to categorize data. "
In written testimony submitted Aug. 3 to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee's Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security Subcommittee, GAO Comptroller General David Walker criticized the long-standing problems in DOD's management of its business transformation.
'DOD's pervasive financial and business management problems adversely affect the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of its operations, and have resulted in a lack of adequate accountability across all major business areas,' Walker said.
To illustrate the point, GAO identified three weaknesses in DOD's financial management and business operations. The department has been unjustly pursuing debt collection for battle-injured soldiers; it cannot account for inventory shipped to repair contractors; and it is unable to properly track costs for the ongoing war on terror, according to the testimony.
'Neither DOD nor Congress know how much the war was costing and how appropriated funds were spent, or have historical data useful in considering future funding needs,' Walker said.
Weaknesses in financial management have several ill effects. DOD is less able to control costs, justify budgets, gauge performance and discourage fraud, he said. In a 2004 report, GAO said the department misreported costs for mobilizing Army reservists by 30 percent, or $2.1 billion.
DOD has taken steps to organize departmentwide business transformation, establishing the Defense Business Systems Management Committee in February 2005 and establishing the Business Transformation Agency last October. To address financial management, the department released its Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness Plan in December 2005 and has developed its Standard Financial Information Structure to categorize data. "
Friday, August 04, 2006
Personnel Announcement
"President George W. Bush today (8/3/2006) announced his intention to nominate the following individuals to serve in his Administration:
The President intends to nominate Nelson M. Ford, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management). Mr. Ford currently serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and Comptroller of the Department of the Army. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Budgets and Financial Policy at the Department of Defense, and Chief Operating Officer at Georgetown University Medical Center. Mr. Ford received his bachelor's degree from Duke University and his master's degree from the University of Delaware.
The President intends to nominate Gerald Walpin, of New York, to be Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Mr. Walpin currently serves as Counsel at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP. Prior to this, he served as Senior Partner at the firm's predecessor, Rosenman & Colin LLP, where he was Chairman of the Litigation Department. He previously served as President of the Federal Bar Council. Mr. Walpin received his bachelor's degree from City College of New York and his LLB from Yale University. "
The President intends to nominate Nelson M. Ford, of Virginia, to be Assistant Secretary of the Army (Financial Management). Mr. Ford currently serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and Comptroller of the Department of the Army. Earlier in his career, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Budgets and Financial Policy at the Department of Defense, and Chief Operating Officer at Georgetown University Medical Center. Mr. Ford received his bachelor's degree from Duke University and his master's degree from the University of Delaware.
The President intends to nominate Gerald Walpin, of New York, to be Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Mr. Walpin currently serves as Counsel at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP. Prior to this, he served as Senior Partner at the firm's predecessor, Rosenman & Colin LLP, where he was Chairman of the Litigation Department. He previously served as President of the Federal Bar Council. Mr. Walpin received his bachelor's degree from City College of New York and his LLB from Yale University. "
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Auditors criticize Army Corps' 'just-in-time' financial strategy (10/3/05)
"The Army Corps of Engineers relies too much on shifting funds between projects and needs better planning and financial management, government auditors concluded in a new report.
The Army Corps has been using a 'just-in-time' financial strategy under which it reprograms funds between projects, often without notifying Congress and sometimes in violation of its own rules, the Government Accountability Office said in its report (GAO-05-946). "
The Army Corps has been using a 'just-in-time' financial strategy under which it reprograms funds between projects, often without notifying Congress and sometimes in violation of its own rules, the Government Accountability Office said in its report (GAO-05-946). "
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Support the Katrina Relief Effort
This post is intended to provide links to information regarding the Huricane Katrina Relief effort and associated organizations.
Internet Information Resources:
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/graphicsversion/bigmain.html
Hydrologic Information Center (river flooding): http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/index.html
Federal Emergency Management Agency: 1-800-621-FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/
Louisiana Homeland Security: http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/
City of New Orleans: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx
Louisiana Governor's Office: http://www.gov.state.la.us/
Mississippi Emergency Management: http://www.msema.org./index.htm
Relief Organizations:
FEMA Charity tips: http://www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm
Red Cross: 1-800-HELP-NOW or http://www.redcross.org/
Episcopal Relief & Development: 1-800-334-7626 or http://www.er-d.org/
United Methodist Committee on Relief: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/hurricanes/2005/
Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY or http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/
Catholic Charities: 1-800-919-9338 or http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: http://www.nvoad.org/
Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: http://www.la-spca.org/
For Federal Employees:
Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund: http://www.feea.org/
Postal Emergency Relief Fund: http://www.apwu.org/dept/human-rel/hr-perf.htm
Internet Information Resources:
National Hurricane Center: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/iwin/graphicsversion/bigmain.html
Hydrologic Information Center (river flooding): http://www.nws.noaa.gov/oh/hic/index.html
Federal Emergency Management Agency: 1-800-621-FEMA: http://www.fema.gov/
Louisiana Homeland Security: http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/
City of New Orleans: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx
Louisiana Governor's Office: http://www.gov.state.la.us/
Mississippi Emergency Management: http://www.msema.org./index.htm
Relief Organizations:
FEMA Charity tips: http://www.fema.gov/rrr/help2.shtm
Red Cross: 1-800-HELP-NOW or http://www.redcross.org/
Episcopal Relief & Development: 1-800-334-7626 or http://www.er-d.org/
United Methodist Committee on Relief: http://gbgm-umc.org/umcor/emergency/hurricanes/2005/
Salvation Army: 1-800-SAL-ARMY or http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/
Catholic Charities: 1-800-919-9338 or http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: http://www.nvoad.org/
Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: http://www.la-spca.org/
For Federal Employees:
Federal Employee Education and Assistance Fund: http://www.feea.org/
Postal Emergency Relief Fund: http://www.apwu.org/dept/human-rel/hr-perf.htm
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Accenture to overhaul Army's financial-management system
Accenture has won a $537 million contract from the Army to develop a consolidated financial-management system for active, Reserve and National Guard units. The Army’s Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems awarded the 10-year, General Fund Enterprise Business System (GFEBS) contract to the Reston, Va.-based company yesterday.
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