IT dashboard delivers results

It has been only a few weeks since Federal CIO Vivek Kundra launched the spending dashboard to enhance transparency and keep track of IT projects government-wide, and already there are some promising results.

We report this week on the decision by the Department of Veteran Affairs to halt 45 projects identified in part by use of the dashboard as either inefficient or over budget. The VA will soon decide whether to keep them going or pull the plug.

This is a positive development, and judging from recent history, there will be many more IT projects flagged that will need to be reevaluated, revised or stopped.

In the past, the money was simply spent, the projects faltered, the public found out after inspector general investigations; in short, everyone lost.

We expect to see the IT dashboard used again very soon as Kundra and his lieutenants use this new tool to tackle an old and vexing problem. Kudos to the new federal CIO. Given the seriousness of the cybersecurity threat and the need for the government to be at the top of its game, making sure IT projects are on target and working matters more than ever. - Judi