OMB and GSA Announce Technology Modernization Fund Will Designate $100 Million to Improve Customer Experiences with the Federal Government
The funding will support innovative technology projects focused on reducing burdens on the American public and the federal workers who serve them.
Today, the Office of Management and Budget and the General Services Administration announced that $100 million of the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF)—an innovative investment program for Federal technology modernization projects—will be designated to help streamline and improve digital services to deliver a better customer experience to the American people. The $100 million is a portion of the $1 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding previously provided by Congress to help secure and modernize Government technology after the pandemic accelerated the need to improve online access to Government services for the public. To date, the TMF has invested nearly $400 million of the $1 billion in ARP funding in 12 projects.
The TMF Board, the members of which provide funding recommendations and monitor progress and performance of approved modernization projects, will prioritize investing in projects that span across agencies and will cut down on frustrating wait times, duplicative paperwork, and bureaucratic barriers people too often face when interacting with their Government. The Board will also prioritize projects aimed at improving a wide range of essential Federal Government capabilities and systems.
All Federal agencies and High-Impact Service Providers (HISPs), which serve the largest percentage of people, conduct the greatest volume of transactions annually, and have an outsized impact on the lives of the individuals they serve, are eligible to apply for the designated funding. The effort will also help deliver on commitments outlined in both the President’s Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government and the second priority of the President’s Management Agenda, focused on delivering excellent, equitable, and secure Federal services and customer experience.
“Federal service delivery has not kept pace with the needs and expectations of the public. The American people deserve a Government that puts people at the center of everything it does,” said Federal Chief Information Officer and TMF Board Chair Clare Martorana. “With this funding, we will deploy secure technology that reduces costs for agencies, eliminates burdens for the Federal workforce and those it serves, and powers services that meet the public’s expectations.”
“Government technology and websites can and must work better for the people and communities we serve,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “Targeted TMF funding focused on making their lives easier when they need government services is a no brainer. It’s also a smart way to invest tax dollars to ensure the American people are getting the most for their money.”
Projects that are selected will be supported by customer research and data, cut across agencies and systems, address immediate security gaps, and improve the public’s ability to access and manage Government services. Moreover, the agencies proposing the projects chosen will have technology teams and systems that are capable of rapidly designing, prototyping, and deploying modern digital tools and services based on human-centered design. Projects will also be required to have measurable goals to ensure TMF investments are addressing real customer pain points and gaps in accessibility and equity.
Any Federal agencies that provide public-facing information, benefits, services, and programs can apply for this funding by Monday, August 1 for expedited consideration, or by September 30, on a rolling basis.
Since the President signed the customer experience Executive Order, HISPs have made important progress delivering on specific service delivery improvement commitments, and have launched five “life experience” teams to better integrate services for people at critical moments in their lives.
About the TMF: The Technology Modernization Fund is working to transform the way the Government uses technology to deliver for the American public in an equitable, secure, and user-centric way. The TMF invests in technology projects across Government, providing incremental funding, technical assistance, and oversight throughout execution to ensure the success of its investments.
The TMF has invested in projects ranging from providing a single secure login experience for Government websites, to digitizing temporary worker visa programs and modernizing systems that support crop inspection and certification. Since receiving the $1 billion in ARP funding, the TMF has invested in 12 projects that address urgent IT modernization challenges, bolster cybersecurity defenses, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit tmf.cio.gov.
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