President Biden’s initiative to improve CX in the federal government will receive $100 million from the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to streamline and improve digital services to the public, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the General Services Administration (GSA) said in a recent announcement.
The money is a portion of the $1 billion in funding previously provided by Congress for the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, and allocated to the TMF to help secure and modernize government technology after the pandemic accelerated the public’s need for improved online access to government services. The TMF is an investment program providing incremental funding, technical assistance, and oversight for federal technology modernization projects. To date, it has invested nearly $400 million of the $1 billion in ARP funding in 12 projects.
The TMF Board, whose members provide funding recommendations and monitor the progress and performance of approved modernization projects, will prioritize projects that are backed by customer data and research, address security gaps, and enhance the public’s ability to manage and access government services. Projects also should cut across systems and agencies, while possessing technology systems and teams that can design, prototype, and field digital services and tools based on human-centered design. Lastly, the projects should have measurable goals to ensure that investments address gaps in equity and accessibility.
Clare Martorana, federal chief information officer and chair of the TMF Board, says federal service delivery has not kept pace with the needs and expectations of the public. “The American people deserve a government that puts people at the center of everything it does,” says Martorana. “With this funding, we will deploy secure technology that reduces costs for agencies, eliminates burdens for the federal workforce and those it serves, and powers services that meet the public’s expectations.”
Federal agencies delivering public-facing services, benefits, programs, and information can apply for TMF funding for an expedited consideration by August 1 or on a rolling basis by the end of September.
Overall, the effort will help deliver on commitments outlined in both the President’s Executive Order on transforming federal CX and service delivery to rebuild trust in the government. The commitment is also the second priority of the President’s Management Agenda, focused on delivering excellent, equitable, and secure federal services and CX.
Author Information
Alex is responsible for writing about trends and changes that are impacting the customer experience market. He had served as Principal Editor at Village Intelligence, a Los Angeles-based consultancy on technology impacting healthcare and healthcare-related industries. Alex was also Associate Director for Content Management at Omdia and Informa Tech, where he produced white papers, executive summaries, market insights, blogs, and other key content assets. His areas of coverage spanned the sectors grouped under the technology vertical, including semiconductors, smart technologies, enterprise & IT, media, displays, mobile, power, healthcare, China research, industrial and IoT, automotive, and transformative technologies.
At IHS Markit, he was Managing Editor of the company’s flagship IHS Quarterly, covering aerospace & defense, economics & country risk, chemicals, oil & gas, and other IHS verticals. He was Principal Editor of analyst output at iSuppli Corp. and Managing Editor of Market Watch, a fortnightly newsletter highlighting significant analyst report findings for pitching to the media. He started his career in writing as an Editor-Reporter for The Associated Press.
