The Government Accountability Office has recommended for agencies to complete cost savings goals under the Office of Management and Budget‘s data center consolidation initiative.
GAO said in a report published Wednesday agencies aim to reach $8.2 billion in savings and avoidances through fiscal year 2019 but 10 agencies have not yet fulfilled their savings targets.
The government watchdog added there are some discrepancies between agencies’ incremental development reports sent to GAO and similar information posted on OMB’s information technology dashboard.
The study showed 22 agencies reported that 64 percent of 469 active software development projects are scheduled to deliver functionality every six months through fiscal year 2016, but seven selected agencies reported different percentages to GAO and OMB’s IT dashboard.
The report further revealed some differences between GAO’s assessments and chief information officers’ risk ratings on federal agency investments that are posted on the IT dashboard.
GAO said of the 95 investments, its risk assessments matched the CIO ratings 22 times and showed more risk 60 times and less risk 13 times.
For the inconsistencies, GAO recommended for OMB and agencies to upgrade their use of incremental development as well as update the quality and frequency of CIO ratings.
