OMB Unveils Major Rewrite of Federal IT Policy

The White House unveiled a broad rewrite of the federal government’s strategy for buying, managing and securing agency IT systems. The Office of Management and Budget Circular A-130, as it’s known, hasn’t been significantly update since the pre-smartphone days of 2000. A 2014 update to federal cybersecurity legislation mandated an A-130 update.

Federal Chief Information Officer Tony Scott and other federal officials announced the new policy. The updated guidance aims to “ensure that the federal IT ecosystem operates more securely and more efficiently while saving tax dollars and serving the needs of the American people,” the post stated. Scott, Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Anne Rung and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Howard Shelanski signed off on the draft of the new plan. The new policy lays out guidance for managing IT investments, improving information security practices and streamlining the process for acquiring new technology. The administration is taking comments on the plan for the next 30 days. A final version of the new policy is expected to released in December.