Reviewing Challenges in Federal IT Acquisition

PURPOSE:

• To discuss challenges in the current federal IT acquisition system, best practices from the private sector, and areas for IT acquisition reform.

BACKGROUND:

• The federal government spends over 75 percent of its $80 billion annual IT expenditures to operate legacy IT systems that are inefficient, costly to maintain, and pose security vulnerabilities.
• The Government Accountability Office designated “Improving the Management of IT Acquisitions and Operations” as high-risk in its 2017 report.
• Implementation of the Federal Information Technology Acquisitions Reform Act (FITARA) requirements has driven improvements, but federal IT acquisition remains a challenge.