Source: United States General Services Administration
March 7, 2022
Two newest Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) investments funded by American Rescue Plan boost cybersecurity and public-facing services at small agencies
WASHINGTON – Today, the Technology Modernization Fund announced investments to modernize key systems, transform operations, and safeguard Americans’ personal data at two small federal agencies, the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and the Selective Service System (SSS).
The $9 million in funding represents the next set of investments funded by the American Rescue Plan, which provided the TMF with $1 billion to address urgent technology modernization challenges and bolster cybersecurity across the federal government.
“The TMF is laser-focused on delivering impact and value for taxpayers, and these strategic investments will have an outsized benefit for the public,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “Hundreds of millions of Americans interact with the U.S. Postal Service and Selective Service, and these investments in the U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission and Selective Service System will make those interactions easier, more responsive, and more secure.”
“These investments will support transformational change at these two agencies, which is exactly what the TMF is here to do,” said TMF Board Chair and Federal CIO Clare Martorana. “This funding will allow the PRC to modernize internal and public-facing tools, and give their customers a better digital experience. And it will allow SSS to move quickly to scale technical operations to meet the nation’s needs through a cloud-first software and data architecture that protects the data of millions of customers.”
The TMF offers a flexible funding model for agencies to deliver results quickly and incrementally through defined milestones and ongoing oversight. Agencies identify critical needs and submit initial proposals, which are assessed by the TMF’s cross-functional team of technical and program evaluators. These evaluators identify promising proposals and work with agencies to improve project plans prior to consideration by the TMF Board.
These two investments resulted from close collaboration between the TMF and project teams, and will modernize key systems, improve cybersecurity, and make services more accessible to the public:
- IT Modernization, U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) The PRC is a small agency with a big mission: independent oversight of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), a global operation that delivered over 128 billion pieces of mail in FY 2021 and operates more than 34,000 post offices. The PRC provides critical oversight of postal pricing and collects public input on USPS decisions such as the opening and closing of post offices. This TMF investment will modernize the PRC’s website and key systems, allowing the public to more easily access and participate in the Commission’s proceedings and equip PRC staff with resources to more effectively provide oversight of USPS operations.
- Registration and Verification Modernization, Selective Service System (SSS)The SSS is a small agency charged with registering all male U.S. citizens and immigrants residing in the United States between the ages of 18 and 25 in preparation for any mobilization for national defense. The SSS’s team of 115 manages over two million Selective Service registrations and approximately six million enrollment verification checks annually. These checks ensure eligibility for student aid, over four million federal civilian and local government jobs, and free job training. This TMF investment will bolster cybersecurity and protect the personal information of tens of millions of Selective Service registrants.
The TMF process can be especially valuable for smaller agencies, whose budgets and technical staff are often stretched thin. TMF funding is both predictable and incremental, offering smaller agencies a unique opportunity to fund transformative initiatives which might otherwise be difficult to sustain under the annual appropriations system.
“We are grateful for the TMF Board’s investment in the PRC’s proposal to modernize its IT infrastructure and the assistance provided by GSA throughout this process,” said PRC Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer Erica Barker. “GSA supported the Commission with a program management team that helped us through every stage, from initial proposal creation to evaluation before the TMF Board. The TMF investment will accelerate the deployment and scaling of key initiatives, helping the Commission meet its mission of ensuring the transparency and accountability of the Postal Service to the American public.”
Funds for TMF projects are distributed incrementally and are tied to performance targets and delivery milestones which are assessed at quarterly board reviews. The program management office at GSA also provides hands-on technical support to project teams throughout the project lifecycle to ensure successful execution.
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About the TMF: The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is an innovative funding vehicle that gives agencies additional ways to deliver services to the American public more quickly, provide better security for sensitive systems and data, and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently.
The TMF is overseen by the Technology Modernization Board, composed of government IT leaders representing proven expertise in technology, transformation, and operations. To date, the TMF has announced investments totaling over $400 million. These investments have supported projects ranging from providing a single secure login experience for government websites to digitizing the temporary worker visa program and modernizing systems that support crop inspection and certification. The TMF has received $175 million through the annual budget process and $1 billion through the American Rescue Plan to fund modernization projects to date. For more information, visit: tmf.cio.gov.
About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.