1. Purpose. This policy provides direction and guidance on GSA Enterprise Information Technology Governance (EIG). EIG is a structured decision-making framework for identifying, selecting, prioritizing, and tracking all information technology (IT) investments and initiatives for the General Services Administration (GSA) enterprise. EIG integrates business-driven approaches to investment evaluation and selection with existing agency activities, programs, and supporting governance boards.
2. Cancellation. This Order cancels and supersedes CIO 2130.2, Enterprise IT Governance, dated February 10, 2015.
3. Applicability. The provisions of this Order apply to all GSA Service and Staff Offices (SSOs) and Regions, as well as to the management and decision-making of all IT throughout GSA. This Order does not apply to the Office of the Inspector General, which has a separate budget for IT procurement.
4. Background.
a. Per GSA’s Organizational Manual, consolidated management responsibility for all GSA IT resources under the Chief Information Officer (CIO), regardless of funding source. This is consistent with the Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 (Pub.L. 113-291, Title VIII, Subtitle D, Section 831), which outlines specified authorities and responsibilities in planning, programming, budgeting, and executing processes related to IT.
b. The GSA Enterprise Information Technology Management (ITM) Policy (CIO 2101.2), outlines the authorities, responsibilities, and policies for managing GSA IT solutions, resources, and shared services. The CIO is responsible for all GSA IT strategy and IT budget execution, which is managed and controlled through IT governance processes.
5. Objectives. Provide a consistent enterprise approach to IT decision-making that includes the following set of guiding principles:
a. Ensure IT investment decisions support business needs.
b. Ensure IT delivers best value.
c. Make transparent, risk-based enterprise IT investment decisions
d. Manage and monitor strategic IT resources.
e. Apply lessons learned to future investment decisions, focused on the stakeholder experience and enhancing high-touch business processes.
f. Ensure transparency and communication of governance decisions and impacts are available across impacted areas.
g. Ensure sound procurement strategies are employed to obtain the best value.
6. Explanation of Changes. This Order:
a. Updates governance board structure,
b. Updates outdated links, and
c. Simplifies language in several paragraphs.
7. Implementation.
a. GSA Enterprise Management Board (EMB). The GSA Investment Review Board has been renamed as the GSA Enterprise Management Board. It continues to serve as an executive leadership committee focused on enterprise-wide strategy, risk, and investment initiatives. The EMB manages cross-cutting priorities that impact the enterprise and require involvement and direction from senior leaders across the SSOs and Regions. The EMB may also charter subcommittees, working groups and boards, as necessary, to address specific business issues or priorities as they are identified. The EMB is chaired by the GSA Deputy Administrator and co-chaired by the GSA Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The CIO serves as a voting member of the EMB to make IT decisions for the agency.
b. IT Advisory Board (ITAB). The ITAB is a subcommittee of the EMB responsible for defining an IT shared service strategy for GSA. The board defines the technical direction for shared service delivery and approves IT funding requests. Through active engagement with Shared Service Portfolio teams, the ITAB approves strategies to reduce IT operational costs, increase efficiencies through enterprise-wide initiatives, improve service delivery, and standardize technology at GSA. The ITAB is chaired by the Deputy CIO to discuss technical issues, and periodically co-chaired by the Budget Director (at the discretion of the Deputy CIO), when necessary to make budget-related decisions. The board members are senior executives from GSA IT and the OCFO.
c. Service and Staff Office Governance Boards. In collaboration with the CIO or designee, business line governance boards can be established to provide recommendations and priorities for IT investments for approval by GSA leadership.
8. References.
- The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-106), Division E
- OMB Circular A-11 [PDF], Preparation, Submission, and Execution of Budget, Part 7, Planning, Budgeting, Acquisition, and Management of Capital Assets
- OMB Circular A-130 [PDF], Managing Information as a Strategic Resource
- OMB, Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, M-11-29 [PDF], Chief Information Officer Authorities, August 8, 2011
- Government Accountability Office, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT: A Framework for Assessing and Improving Process Maturity, GAO-04-394G, March 1, 2004
- The Carl Levin and Howard P. “Buck” McKeon National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2015 (Pub. L. 113-291), Title VIII, Subtitle D, Section 831
- CIO 2101.2, GSA Enterprise Information Technology Management (ITM) Policy, September 3, 2019
U.S. General Services Administration