On May 21, 2009, we launched Data.gov to democratize data across the government and tap into the ingenuity of the public to develop tools that help the American people.  47 datasets were available on day one. I’m pleased to announce that two years later, Data.gov hosts 389,681 datasets covering every aspect of government operations, from health care data to public safety information. As events break across the globe, Data.gov helps puts the resources of the United States government at the fingertips of the world – most recently, providing real-time alerts and data related to the earthquakes off the coast of Japan and radiation levels in the United States.

Innovators from across the country have been busy putting these datasets to work. So far, hundreds of apps have been created that include helping parents keep their children safe, assisting travelers find the fastest route to their destinations, and informing home buyers about the safety of their new neighborhood. 

This emerging “app economy” not only gives rise to innovative applications, it also helps us crack down on wasteful and redundant government spending. For too long, the government has relied on armies of consultants, a fragmented infrastructure, and customized, one-off applications, spending billions of dollars to share information within government and with citizens. By mobilizing citizen-developers and leveraging the Data.gov platform, we can do more for less.

And Data.gov has spawned a global movement – 16 nations, 29 states, 11 cities and several international organizations have established open data platforms. In the coming months and years, we will see an explosion of apps based on the Data.gov platform which will disrupt our current thinking of how we procure technology solutions and how we deliver services to citizens.

Vivek Kundra is the U.S. Chief Information Officer

The President has made it a priority of his Administration to change the way Washington does business. As he has said many times, including in his State of the Union Address, reducing overlap and duplication within the federal government is critical to ensuring that our government operates more efficiently and effectively.

When it comes to information technology, there is no better way to identify duplication than to look at the very infrastructure that powers duplicative systems. Since 1998, the number of Federal data centers has risen from 432 to more than 2,000.  The proliferation of infrastructure has created an environment that enables redundant systems and applications to sprout like weeds – with hundreds of redundant applications, more than 24,000 websites and hundreds of HR and financial management systems across the government.

To crack down on this wasteful spending, last week I announced agency plans to close 137 data centers by the end of 2011, of which 39 have already been shut down. For example, HHS is shutting down a data center in Rockville, Maryland that is 14,992 square feet and requires $1.2 million annually for electricity costs alone.

In total, we plan to shutdown at least 800 data centers, some 40% of our inventory over the next four and a half years. The consolidation of these data centers is expected to save over $3 billion.

In shutting down redundant and under-utilized data centers, we are starving the duplicative infrastructure that breeds unnecessary applications and wasteful IT spending.

Vivek Kundra is the Federal Chief Information Officer.

Today we are releasing the software code of the IT Dashboard and the TechStat toolkit to the public for two reasons.  First, to take the platform to the next level, we want to tap into the collective talents and ingenuity of the American people, to enhance functionality, improve the code and address existing challenges such as those identified by David Powner and his team at GAO.  Second, CIOs from across the country and around the world such as Maarten Hillenaar of the Netherlands, Kyle Schafer in West Virginia  and Jason DeHaan of the City of Chicago are all interested in implementing these platforms in their respective organizations.

The IT Dashboard has helped the Federal Government to better manage its IT investments, and now that its code is freely available— through a format known as ‘open source’— it can help any organization do the same. Software developers will be able to collaborate, identify errors, develop enhancements, and recommend improvements to the Dashboard, and find new uses for it that we have not even imagined.  The TechStat Toolkit provides a comprehensive guide for organizations to establish their own TechStats to improve line-of-sight between project teams and senior executives, increase the precision of ongoing measurement of IT program health, and boost the quality and timing of interventions to keep projects on track.

Opening up the inner workings of the Dashboard by releasing the code and the TechStat toolkit is only a first step. We recognize that the Federal Government does not have a monopoly on the best ideas, which is why we are working with organizations such as Civic Commons to help share technology for the public good and are asking the public for continuous input to help us improve how we manage taxpayer dollars.
 
If you have ideas, recommendations or other contributions to the IT Dashboard, we urge you to join the discussion here. To access and download source code for the IT Dashboard and the TechStat toolkit, please visit www.cio.gov/tools.

Vivek Kundra is the U.S. Chief Information Officer

For too long, the Federal Government has failed to effectively harness the power and potential of information technology (IT)  -- despite spending approximately $80 billion dollars on IT each year, and more than $600 billion over the past decade.  As a result, it has lagged far behind the private sector in the reaping the gains in productivity and enhancements in service from IT.  To get a better return on this investment for the American people, we have fundamentally altered the way we manage the federal government's IT projects -- using transparency to shed light on government operations and to hold government managers accountable for results.

On my first day on the job, at the beginning of the Obama Administration, I was handed a portfolio that included $27 Billion in IT projects that were years behind schedule, and over budget. I quickly found that the sheer size of the portfolio often led to a sense of faceless accountability and quickly set out to fix that. That’s why just months after President Obama took office, we launched the IT Dashboard (June, 2009) – which provides a clear window into Federal IT projects, bolstering transparency and accountability.  The IT Dashboard shines a light on these projects, including if they are on schedule and within budget -- and posting the photo and name of the official responsible -- and agencies continue to increase transparency and improve data quality.

Using this important tool, we identified underperforming high priority IT projects and began an intensive review of these programs, eliminating ineffective projects, reconfiguring others, and targeting IT expenditures more carefully. These actions have on average:

• cut the time in half to deliver meaningful functionality and critical services (like faster adoption of new biometric technologies for law enforcement investigations and IT systems that effectively manage the delivery of food to 30 million Americans);
• reduced total budgeted costs by over $3 billion.

And as part of our broader IT reform plan to close the public- private technology gap, we are also strengthening program management and formalizing that career track to ensure that we have the right managers in place to oversee these projects, working with a dedicated team that will be held accountable for keeping the project on track.

Whether it be shining light on IT spending at the IT dashboard, posting details of where dollars are going (including by location and down to the subcontractor level) at USAspending.gov, or democratizing government data at data.gov, this Administration is committed to continuing to make government more open and accountable. As we celebrate Sunshine Week, it’s important to note that transparency is not only good government, it also bolsters accountability, and helps us deliver billions in savings and better results for the American people. More work lies ahead and we will continue to leverage the power of IT to make government more open and more effective so we can win the future.

Vivek Kundra is U.S. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra

This summer we took a hard look at 26 high priority projects that were either over budget, behind schedule, or at high risk for the kinds of problems that too often plague our large IT efforts. We completed the review of two projects in October, and this week, we announced the results from our review of the next 16 projects.

• One project has been terminated entirely, as the agency decided the project was too troubled to continue.

• For seven projects we have accelerated delivery of meaningful functionality.  

•  For eight projects, we’ve rescoped the projects back to increase the likelihood of success and reduced budgets in the process. 

The bottom line is that we’ve reduced lifecycle cost by $1.3 billion, and cut the time for delivery of functionality down by more than half, from two to three years down to an average of 8 months.

In reviewing 38 total projects, we have significantly accelerated delivery in 12 projects, with increased functionality coming online every few quarters rather than every few years, and reduced the scope or terminated 15 others, achieving a total of $3 billion in lifecycle budget reductions.

So we have proven that we can improve our IT performance on a project-by-project basis. But just as importantly, we’re using the lessons from this work to identify the structural changes required to drive sustainable improvements across government. 

That is why we announced a 25 Point Implementation Plan to Reform Federal IT Management, which will fundamentally change how the government buys and manages IT.

Some highlights of the implementation plan include:

• Turnaround or terminate at least one-third of underperforming projects in the IT portfolio within the next 18 months

• Shift to “a Cloud First” policy. Each agency will identify three “must move” services within three months, and move one of those services to the cloud within 12 month and the remaining two within 18 months.

• Reduce number of Federal data centers by at least 800 by 2015

• Only approve funding of major IT programs that:

  • Have a dedicated program manager and a fully staffed integrated program team

  • Use a modular approach with customer-facing functionality delivered every 6 months

  • Use specialized IT acquisition professionals

• Work with Congress to:

  • Consolidate commodity IT funding under the Agency CIOs and

  • Develop flexible budget models that align with modular development

These steps will help catalyze a fundamental reform of Federal IT, which is essential to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal Government.

Vivek Kundra is the US Chief Information Officer 

Government IT projects all too often cost millions of dollars more than they should, take years longer than necessary to deploy, and deliver technologies that are obsolete by the time they are completed. Colossal failures have contributed to a significant technology gap between the public and private sector which results in dollars wasted and a government that is less responsive to the American people.  To close the technology gap, cut waste, and modernize government, the Obama Administration is taking concrete steps to deliver better results for the American people.

In June 2009, we launched the IT Dashboard, which empowers the American people to monitor $80 billion of IT investments across the Federal government and shines light into government operations, and today we’re launching IT Dashboard 2.0 which represents the next major leap forward in transparency, performance and accessibility of the Federal IT portfolio.  Now available in both standard and mobile versions, the new IT Dashboard delivers faster navigation and more ways to see and explore Federal IT investments, providing greater access to a broader set of data than ever before. 

The information uncovered through the Dashboard will be used by OMB in TechStat Accountability Sessions.  Since January, we have held 30 sessions in which we review over-budget or overdue projects in depth with those overseeing them. The results have been encouraging. We’ve been able to reform projects – and cut the fat. In one such session, the Small Business Administration was able to reduce the cost to issue a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) smartcard from $1,641 per card to $240 per card.

These sessions and the Dashboard are part of a larger effort to reform Federal IT as we modernize government. Two weeks ago, we took three steps that will help us toward this goal.  First, we are undertaking detailed reviews of troubled IT projects across the Federal Government.  Second, we directed executive departments and agencies to refrain from awarding new task orders or contracts for financial system modernization projects. Third, we will develop recommendations for improving the Federal Government’s IT procurement and management practices within 120 days and in consultation with agencies.  Already, VA has announced that they are terminating their current financial system project, and as a result, will defer a planned investment of $400 million.

Being smarter in how we invest in technology can help us make sure that government is both more efficient and more effective.  That is why CIOs across the Federal government are focused on making sure that we halt, terminate or turnaround troubled technology investments and develop recommendations in the next four months to address structural issues that for too long have plagued Federal IT.

Vivek Kundra is U. S. Chief Information Officer

Today, there are more than 250,000 datasets, hundreds of applications created by third parties, and a global movement to democratize data. To date, the site has received 97.6 million hits, and following the Obama Administration’s lead, governments and institutions of all sizes are unlocking the value of data for their constituents.  San Francisco, New York City, the State of California, the State of Utah, the State of Michigan, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have launched data.gov-type sites, as have countries such as Canada, Australia, and the UK as well as the World Bank.

From these datasets, citizens have developed hundreds of applications that help parents keep their children safe, let travelers find the fastest route to their destinations, and inform home buyers about the safety of their new neighborhood.  Never before have people been so empowered with the information they need to make decisions every day.

As I reflect on the 1st anniversary of data.gov, the most important accomplishment is the birth of a community of innovators that is helping change the way Washington works. 

In less than eight months, a team of students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute developed over 40 applications using data.gov.  These applications range from easily searching the roster of visitors to the White House and tracking foreign aid across the world to shining light on the ratio of debt to assets for bankrupt companies.

At the Sunlight Foundation, a community of developers continues to build on the Apps for America contest that brought us innovative apps that allow us to check wait times at airports, demystify the rule making process and empower people with the tools to mash up different datasets to unearth new insights. 

At the World Bank, recognizing the power of prizes to mobilize new and diverse talent, they are encouraging the development of applications that make innovative use of more than 2,000 data sets that document human development worldwide, including health, business, finance, environment, and social welfare statistics.

As we look to the next year, we recognize that the Web itself is evolving into a data platform and how important it is to link data from one agency to another or one country to another.  True value lies at the intersection of multiple datasets and what we are witnessing is a continued movement across the world to democratize data, but more importantly the explosion of applications created by the emergence of a community of innovators. 

So all you innovators out there – what data sets can we try to get out there to help you go further? Tweet your ideas for data we should try to put out with hashtag #datagov, and we’ll see what we can do in year 2.

Vivek Kundra is U.S. Chief Information Officer

For those of you not familiar with cloud computing, here is a brief explanation. There was a time when every household, town, or village had its own water well. Today, shared public utilities give us access to clean water by simply turning on the tap. Cloud computing works a lot like our shared public utilities. However, instead of water coming from a tap, users access computing power from a pool of shared resources. Just like the tap in your kitchen, cloud computing services can be turned on or off as needed, and, when the tap isn’t on, not only can the water be used by someone else, but you aren’t paying for resources that you don’t use.  Cloud computing is a new model for delivering computing resources – such as networks, servers, storage, or software applications.

Recovery.gov is the first government-wide system to move to the cloud. The move is part of the Administration’s overall efforts to cut waste and fix or end government programs that don’t work. By migrating to the public cloud, the Recovery Board is in position to leverage many advantages including the ability keep the site up as millions of Americans help report potential fraud, waste, and abuse. The Board expects savings of about $750,000 during its current budget cycle and significantly more savings in the long-term.

In April, HHS leveraged cloud computing to support implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems. To coordinate healthcare providers’ implementation of new Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, HHS is deploying a cloud-based customer relationship and project management solution provided by Salesforce.com. The solutions will support HHS’s Regional Extension Centers in assisting doctors and rural hospitals in the selection, implementation and meaningful use of EHRs. Various implementation approaches can be analyzed to quickly identify best practices for EHR implementation as they emerge.

By using cloud services, the Federal Government will gain access to powerful technology resources faster and at lower costs. This frees us to focus on mission-critical tasks instead of purchasing, configuring, and maintaining redundant infrastructure.

The Obama Administration is committed to leveraging the power of cloud computing to help close the technology gap and deliver for the American people. I am hopeful that that the Recovery Board’s move to the cloud will serve as a model for making government’s use of technology smarter, better, and faster.

Vivek Kundra is U.S. Chief Information Officer

"Cyber-crime on the rise with 100 attacks a second worldwide"

"Federal IT pros say US at high risk for cyberattack"

"Defending cyberspace important"

With headlines like these, just in the past couple of days, it is little wonder why the Obama Administration is taking the threat of cyber attack so seriously. Without question, the threat is real, and our response must match it in intensity, security, and creativity.

Last May, the President set the tone for our actions when he said the “cyber threat is one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a nation” and that “America's economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cybersecurity.”

In the days since then, federal CIOs have worked closely with the President's Cybersecurity Coordinator, Howard Schmidt, and other technology officials in the government to create a stronger, more flexible, more reliable system of protections. We have made significant strides, but there is still much work ahead.

Today, we are taking the next step with the release of new FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) guidance. We are shifting the focus from old-styled, paper-based reports to real-time electronic data that feed directly and immediately into security monitoring and alert systems. This change means that agencies will be able to identify vulnerabilities faster and actively protect against attacks.

The new approach is the result of many months of work by an interagency task force that reached out not only to agency officials but also to the private sector. The group identified best practices and innovative approaches that will make our cybersecurity efforts more effective and efficient.

In the past, federal agencies spent enormous time and money creating the old paper-based reports. The State Department alone, in the past six years, spent $133 million amassing 95,000 pages of security documentation for about 150 major IT systems. This works out to roughly $1,400 per page in reports that were often outdated days within being published.

As we move away from the old-style reports and into a more real-time system of security data feeds, we are implementing solutions that actually help to protect the country rather than simply generate paperwork.

In order for the government to focus on the necessary automation and continuous monitoring of the security status of all systems, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will provide operational support to all federal agencies. DHS will monitor and report agency progress to ensure the effective implementation of this guidance.

A secure, trusted computing environment in the federal government is the responsibility of everyone involved. It requires employees, contractors, and the American people working together to create a culture of vigilance and security so we can efficiently leverage the power of technology while respecting the privacy and civil liberties of the American people. This won’t be easy, nor will it take place overnight. But the actions we are implementing today will move us to a stronger federal cyber defense and a more secure country overall.

Vivek Kunda is U.S. Chief Information Officer

Later that afternoon, I met with companies like Apple and Google to learn how innovation is happening in the consumer space, through new platforms such as Apple’s online App Store.

On Thursday, I travelled to the “other” Washington, where I started the day with CIOs from organizations such as Weyerhaeuser and Microsoft to hear about how they successfully manage large-scale IT projects. I also had the opportunity to look at some of the impressive investments in next generation technologies being made by companies like Microsoft and Amazon.

I then delivered a speech at the University of Washington titled “Making Government Work: Closing the Technology Gap to Deliver for the American People.” I was very encouraged by the response and was pleasantly surprised when following my speech, dozens of professors and students lined up to ask questions and continue the dialogue. 

At the end of the day, I attended an industry awards celebration for local technology entrepreneurs, hosted by the Washington Technology Industry Association. It was great to see entrepreneurs from the “other” Washington talk to me about their ideas for helping us change the way Washington, DC works.

Vivek Kundra is U.S. Chief Information Officer
 

The event which will take place at the 311 Customer Service Center in San Francisco, California will be streamed live below starting at 2:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. PST.

UPDATE: This event has concluded, but you can watch it in its entirety by clicking here.

Vivek Kundra is U.S. Chief Information Officer

Building on the foundation of the dashboard, we launched TechStat Accountability Sessions in January 2010.  A TechStat accountability session is a face-to-face, evidence-based review of an IT program with OMB and agency leadership, powered by the IT Dashboard and input from the American people.  TechStat sessions enable the government to turnaround, halt or terminate IT investments that do not produce dividends for the American people.  Investments are carefully analyzed with a focus on problem solving that leads to concrete action to improve performance.

February 13, 2010. (by Michelle Farrell, General Services Administration)

The inaugural TechStat reviewed a financial management program at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was significantly behind schedule and over budget.  At the session we unearthed several issues around the performance of the program including high leadership turnover, poorly defined goals, and a lack of a shared vision across the program team.  The TechStat session resulted in corrective actions, such as a new alternatives analysis, a permanent project manager and greater collaboration with the CFO and CIO.

Given the size and complexity of the multi-billion dollar Federal IT Portfolio, we must relentlessly focus on the health of IT investments across the government.  As the President said in his inaugural speech “those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”  The IT Dashboard and TechStat Accountability Sessions are both critical tools in delivering better value and results for the American people.

Vivek Kundra is U.S. Chief Information Officer

As part of the Directive, federal agencies have answered the President’s call by democratizing hundreds of high-value datasets on every aspect of government operations.  While this is meaningful for the technology community and transparency advocates who have been working on this issue for years, the data released will have direct impact on the daily lives of the American people.  Here are three examples to consider:

• Parents can make better decisions when buying a car seat for their newborn because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released data rating child safety seats for ease of use, simplicity of instructions and vehicle installation features
• Consumers can make intelligent decisions when buying a car because the Department of Transportation released details behind automobile safety and crash ratings gathered during crash and rollover tests conducted at their research facilities
• As Norm Eisen mentioned in his earlier post (which has a few other good examples), entrepreneurs, researchers and healthcare professionals can access Medicare Part B data to analyze the cost, volume and types of services delivered to meet the needs of Medicare beneficiaries because the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has released data that used to cost $100 and was delivered on CD-ROM, for free via Data.gov

The Obama Administration is committed to unlocking public data to drive innovation by tapping into the ingenuity of the American people; increase agency accountability; and change the default setting of Washington to be open, transparent and participatory.  For far too long, government data has been locked within the four walls of Washington and confined to a selected group of people. President Obama has said, “information maintained by the Federal Government is a national asset.”  This is why, on his first full day in office, the President charged agencies to harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online.

To institutionalize a culture of open government, on February 6 we will launch a public dashboard to provide an ongoing assessment of the Executive Branch’s progress against the Directive.  You'll be able to find that at WhiteHouse.gov/open.

Vivek Kundra is the Federal Chief Information Officer

When we launched Data.gov here at the White House website in May 2009, we had just 47 datasets online.  It was a modest start, but the growth we’ve seen has been phenomenal.  Today, there are more than 168,000 datasets online, and federal agencies are poised to publish new high-value information this week as the next step in Administration’s Open Government Initiative. 

But the U.S. and UK governments aren’t alone in data sites.  There is a nationwide movement to unlock public data.  Governments of all sizes are unlocking the value of data for their constituents.  Washington, D.C., San Francisco, the City of New York, the State of California, the State of Utah, the State of Michigan, and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have launched data.gov-type sites, as have cities in Canada and the UK.  All of these sites are dedicated to breaking down longstanding barriers between governments and the people they serve -- facilitating collaboration and transforming dry data into tools that can improve people’s lives.

As we grow Data.gov across the Administration, we are focused on releasing high-value datasets to increase agency accountability and responsiveness; improve public knowledge of the agency and its operations; create economic opportunity; or respond to need and demand as identified through public consultation.

For instance, when the Department of Agriculture makes nutrition information available, families can make smarter eating choices; when the Department of Education makes key information available about colleges and universities, students can make better-informed choices about the quality and cost of education; and when the Department of Labor makes safety information available, employers can better protect workers.

The Federal Government does not have a monopoly on the best ideas.  We are all part of an increasingly complex network of communities, ideas, and information.  We applaud today’s launch of data.gov.uk  and look forward to working with the  international community to ensure that people across the world are actively engaged in helping find the most innovative paths to solve some of the toughest problems we face. Moreover, we are pleased to see that other governments share the Administration's philosophy that data availability will help change how government operates and empower citizens to participate in making government services more effective, accessible, and transparent.

Vivek Kundra is U.S. Chief Information Officer

The current version of Data.gov platform is just the beginning.  We’ve developed a Data.gov Concept of Operations and would appreciate your input.  Following are the key principles as we continue to evolve Data.gov:
 

1. Focus on Access
   Data.gov is designed to increase access to government data as close to the authoritative source as possible. The goal is to strengthen our democratic institutions through a transparent, collaborative and participatory platform while fostering development of innovative applications (e.g. visualizations, mash-ups) and analysis by third parties. Policy analysts, researchers, application developers, non-profit organizations, entrepreneurs and the general public should have numerous resources for accessing, understanding and using the vast array of government datasets.
    
2. Open Platform
   Data.gov will use a modular architecture with application programming interfaces (API) to facilitate shared services for agencies and enable the development of third party tools.  The architecture, APIs and services will evolve based on public and agency input.
    
3. Disaggregation of Data
   Data should be disaggregated from agency reports, tools or visualizations to enable direct access to the underlying data.
    
4. Grow and Improve Through User Feedback
   Feedback should be used to identify high-value datasets, help set priorities for integration of new and existing datasets and improve the usability of data and applications.
    
5. Program Responsibility
   Agency program executives and data stewards are responsible for ensuring information quality, providing context and meaning for data, protecting privacy and assuring information security.
    
6. Rapid Integration
   Agencies should rapidly integrate current and new data into Data.gov with sufficient documentation to allow the public to determine fitness for use in the targeted context.
    
7. Embrace, Scale and Drive Best Practices
   Data.gov will implement, enhance and propagate best practices for data and information management, sharing and dissemination across agencies, with our state, local and tribal partners as well as internationally.

The Administration is making available high-value data that helps promote national priorities and improve the everyday lives of Americans through Data.gov.  When the Department of Agriculture makes nutrition information available, families can make smarter eating choices.  When the Department of Education makes key information available about colleges and universities, students can make better-informed decisions about the quality and cost of their education.  When the Department of Labor makes safety information available, employers can better protect workers.

We’ve posted the Concept of Operations and invite you to join the dialogue on Data.gov.  Through initiatives like Data.gov, we are laying a new foundation that changes the default setting of government from closed, opaque and secretive to open, transparent and participatory.

Vivek Kundra is the Federal Chief Information Officer