As of Date: May 15, 2020
Agency Actions and Milestones Table
| Area | DCOI Area | Actions and Milestones extracted from Agency FITARA Implementation Plan | Target Completion Date | Status: Choose - Not Started, In Progress, Complete, Deferred | Status Description Describe in detail agency responses to status (e.g. ongoing actions, dependencies, partial milestones). |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget Formulation (A-D) | Non Data Center | A1/A2: Beginning in the latter part of the FY 2017 budget formulation cycle and phasing in fully in FY 2018 budget cycle, the HHS CIO will collaborate with the HHS CFO and define the IT-related information required and the overall IT approach. This will build upon current processes in use to identify and report on IT spending represented in the IT Portfolio (in the former Exhibits 53 and 300). |
Sep 30, 2016 | Complete | Update the HHS CPIC Policy Incorporate IT budget requirements into Departmental budget guidance |
| A1/A2: Beginning in the FY 2017 budget formulation cycle and phasing in fully in FY 2018 budget cycle, the HHS CIO and CFO will jointly approve the overall HHS IT budget and the IT budget for investments over $20 million annually/$100 million over 5 years. |
Nov 21, 2016 | Complete | Update IT governance framework Perform joint budget review | ||
| A1/A2: Building upon current processes in use for IT capital planning and investment control reporting, Division CIOs and CFOs will jointly review, approve and submit a Division IT Budget for submission to HHS consistent with the process and information requirements established by the HHS CIO and CFO. |
Nov 21, 2016 | Complete | Incorporate IT budget requirements into Departmental
budget guidance Perform Joint Budget Reviews | ||
| B1/B2: HHS will use the President’s budget development process in conjunction with the existing IT capital planning process to ensure comprehensive identification of IT spending including programmatic IT and the associated justifications for the budget amounts. |
Sep 30, 2016 | Complete | Update HHS CPIC policy | ||
| B1/B2: The HHS CIO will leverage the recently established HHS IT Steering Committees and the HHS CIO Council to identify and review anticipated new IT investments over $20 million prior to formal budget formulation processes. This will better inform the HHS IT budget decision making and engage discussions earlier than current practice. |
Oct 30, 2016 | Complete | Update IT governance framework and perform IT budget formulation process Perform review of IT portfolio review of overall budget and new investments | ||
| C1:
HHS will strengthen its recently established IT governance structure and enhance its management authority through development and implementation of specific and clearly delineated roles and responsibilities of the HHS CIO and the Division CIOs. The HHS CIO will focus on review and approval through the HHS governance structure of the overall HHS IT portfolio, for IT investments of over $20 million annually/$100 million over 5 years, and for specific Department-wide special initiatives (e.g., cybersecurity). |
May 31, 2017 | Complete | Issue OpDiv specific Delegation of Authority memorandums | ||
| C1:
Division CIOs with delegated authority from the HHS CIO will be responsible through Division IT governance processes for the review and approval of the Division IT portfolio, IT investments under $20 million, and for assuring transparency to HHS of investments over $10 million annually/$50 million over 5 years. |
May 31, 2017 | Complete | Issue OpDiv specific Delegation of Authority memorandums OpDiv CIOs provide annual budget submission and certification of review. | ||
| C1: The HHS IT Steering Committees, chaired by the CIO along with two co-chairs representing the programmatic aspects of the Domain, will develop and apply criteria to determine magnitude, importance, and risk of IT investments and assist the HHS CIO in assessing the health of the Agency’s portfolio. These criteria will be applied in strategic assessments of the IT investments to allow for a more consistent and rigorous HHS review of investments. |
Dec 31, 2015 | Complete | Develop and apply criteria to determine magnitude, importance, and risk of IT investments | ||
| D1/D2: Beginning with the FY 2017 President’s budget formulation, the HHS CIO and CFO affirm to all three IT-related affirmations in the budget submission. |
Dec 2, 2016 | Complete | Affirmation statement of IT portfolio | ||
| Budget Execution (E-H, J, L) | Non Data Center | E1: The HHS CIO will review the existing stage gate review processes in the EPLC to implement changes for better program/IT engagement. Divisions will incorporate program centered processes into Division EPLC frameworks. |
Aug 9, 2016 | Complete | Update the HHS EPLC Policy - Addendum |
| E2:
The HHS CIO will work with the CFO and CAO to provide clear, compelling and meaningful performance metrics within IT investments. |
Sep 30, 2016 | Complete |
Develop best practice on performance Provide access to COR/PPM Training for Staff professionals | ||
| E2:
The HHS CIO will leverage the HHS CIO Council to define strategies and performance measures for Department-wide technology investments. |
Sep 30, 2016 | Complete | Update HHS IT strategic plan to align with developed performance measures | ||
| E2:
The HHS CIO will develop and provide guidance to Divisions on best practices in determining high quality performance metrics within the HHS EPLC framework. |
May 3, 2016 | Complete | Leverage EPLC community of practices to share best practices | ||
| E2:
Division CIOs will develop enhanced coordination processes among program managers and CIO staff to incorporate metrics that support Division mission, goals and objectives. |
Dec 30, 2016 | Complete | Create communities of practices to allow for information sharing and best practices, including the use of the CIO Council to better understand and support the mission diversity of HHS. | ||
| F1/F2: The HHS CIO will work with the HHS CFO, CAO, and Divisions to assess current IT expenditure reporting to determine critical FITARA data needs, how to best integrate the data, and how to improve the quality and utility to better support visibility and accountability. The HHS CIO will also determine how to better integrate disparate data reporting and analytics from a variety of Department-level systems to better inform decision-making. |
Jul 30, 2017 | Complete | Define and access agency-wide report. Review planned IT expenditures for investments $20 million annually/$100 million over 5 years, using tolls such as Porfolio Managemetn Tool (PMT) and business intelligence systems, to improve visibility, data quality and automate sharing of data to better support decision making | ||
| G1:
The HHS CIO will review the landscape of policies and processes to ensure they comprehensively cover all FITARA requirements to include but not limited to incremental development, publicly posting and sharing with OMB. |
Dec 31, 2016 | Complete | Create inventory of IT policies Perform internal analysis of HHS FITARA implementation and its impact and communicate closely with OMB and GAO Create Plan to update affected policies. EPLC policy (new template) was updated November 2016. Update affected policies | ||
| H1: The HHS CIO will notify OMB of all governance boards he/she is a member of at the beginning of each fiscal year. |
Nov 30, 2016 | Complete | A list of HHS CIO Governance Board membership can be found at http://www.hhs.gov/digitalstrategy. | ||
| H1:
HHS Divisions will be required to document their governance and decision-making processes and submit to the HHS Deputy Secretary and HHS CIO as part of the delegation process. With authorities delegated by the HHS CIO, Division CIOs will focus attention on the overall Division IT portfolio, the planning and execution of Division major investments, and all other Division investments. |
Jun 23, 2016 | Complete | Existing information and supporting evidence [Pre-FITARA] was gathered and drove the content of the initial Delegation of Authority Memos created in 2016. | ||
| J1: Continuing the use of TechStats for major IT investments, the HHS CIO has the authority to recommend to the Agency head or her designee the continuation, modification, pause, or termination of a reviewed acquisition, investment, or activity with significant IT component. The HHS Deputy Secretary will be engaged in the resolution, in the event the Division head or Division CIO disagrees with the HHS CIO recommendation. |
Nov 30, 2016 | Complete | Establish and conduct investment review process | ||
| L1/L2:
HHS CIO will approve any future movement of funds for IT resources that requires Congressional notification. |
Nov 30, 2016 | Complete | Develop a process for the HHS CIO to approve IT resources that requires Congressional notification. This effort which began in 2015 has matured due to FITARA. | ||
| Acquisition (I, K) | Non Data Center | I1:
The EPLC process will implement improvements in the cost estimation review process consistent with established thresholds, and incorporate into the business case review during the planning phase. |
Dec 31, 2016 | Complete | Update the EPLC Policy (New Template). EPLC Update (under the New Template) was updated November 2016. |
| I1:
The HHS CIO will work with the Division CIOs to validate that the acquisition strategies are included IT governance processes. |
Jul 28, 2017 | Complete | Include acquisition strategy reviews as a condition of the Operating Division CIO Delegation of Authority. Perform review of OPDIV level acquisition reviews | ||
| I1:
The HHS CIO will modify IT management policy to require adequate incremental development principles in IT investments. |
Sep 30, 2016 | Complete | Finalize CPIC Policy | ||
| I2: HHS CAO will use a phased approach for full implementation of all FAC P/PM level requirements and achieve certification. HHS is building internal capacity by developing staff to have the needed levels of experience and training as well as developing a strategic plan to enhance its ability to attract new hires with the expertise and experience required. |
Jun 30, 2017 | Complete | Increase the number of IT Professionals at HHS who hold Project and Program Management certification. Develop the IT acquistion workforce at HHS. Develop efforts in conjunction with IT Workforce Development initiatives. From FY16 to FY17, HHS doubled the number of certified Project and Program Managers from 170 to 337. As of Aug 9, 2018, total number of certifications: FAC-PPM (all levels): 905; total number of FAC-COR (all levels): 8,889. | ||
| I2:
HHS has been expanding the use of incremental development approaches (such as agile); this also will continue to be phased in and may not be appropriate for all projects or systems. Generally new projects with less definition on specific IT requirements up front work best for this approach; however, criteria for incremental development are being refined as the Agency gains experience with these approaches. |
Dec 31, 2016 | Complete | Establish working group to assess the methodologies
used within each OpDiv. The monthly meetings highlight “best practices”
to incremental development approaches (This is complete as of Dec 31,
2016).
Update EPLC Policy ( New Template). EPLC Policy (under the new template) was updated November 2016. | ||
| K1:
When the threshold for HHS review is triggered (at $20 million annually/$100 million over 5 years in IT), the HHS CIO and CAO will review and approve the acquisition. |
Sep 1, 2016 | Complete | Update the IT Acquisition Review (ITAR) Process. HHS CIO has approved 598 acquisitions (as of 2/14/2018), that were approved via the ITAR process. This includes Acquisition Strategies and individual acquisitions (IT acquisitions and acquisitions with IT components) over $150k submitted to ITAR for FITARA approval | ||
| K1:
Division CIOs with delegated authority from the HHS CIO and the Division Head (or designee such as the Division HCA) will approve acquisition strategies. |
May 31, 2017 | Complete | Issue OpDiv Specific Delegation of Authority Memos | ||
| K1:
Acquisition strategies approved at the Department level are expected to have related acquisition plans. |
Jun 30, 2017 | Complete | Update the FITARA Approval guidance document (Memo) | ||
| K2:
The HHS CAO will publish guidance to contracting officers regarding approval for processing and coding IT acquisitions. |
Aug 15, 2017 | Complete | Publish guidance to contracting community | ||
| K2:
The HHS CAO will continue to refer planned acquisition strategies and acquisition plans that include IT resources over $20 million annually/$100 million over 5 years to the HHS CIO. The CAO will prevent initiation of a contracting action, or a modification for substantial change to a contract, or inter-agency agreements that include IT over $20 million annually unless the CIO jointly agrees or they are consistent with the acquisition strategy previously approved by the HHS CIO. |
Sep 1, 2016 | Complete | Update the ITAR process with identified thresholds | ||
| Organization and Workforce (M-Q) |
Non Data Center | M1:
The HHS CIO will be involved in the following recruitment activities for new Division CIOs: participating in the interview and selection process. The Division Head and HHS CIO will agree on the selection of the Division CIO. |
Dec 31, 2015 | Complete | The Departmental CIO has participated in the selection of OPDIV CIOs when such vacancies have occurred. This practice will continue for future vacancies. |
| N1/N2:
The HHS CIO and CHCO will work together to formally establish a new rating element for Division-level CIO performance plans and communicate this new requirement through a policy memorandum to be distributed to all Department and Division level leadership. |
May 5, 2016 | Complete | OCIO and OHR have issued a draft letter that allows the CIO to provide input on OPDIV CIO performance based upon the CIO work plan. | ||
| N1/N2:
The HHS CIO shall submit mid-year and annual input to the PMAP to Division heads regarding the performance of the Division CIOs. The Division Head will consider the input from the HHS CIO when determining the initial summary rating and will discuss the input with the Division CIO during progress reviews. |
May 5, 2016 | Complete | Develop a process that allows the Department CIO to contribute to the Division CIOs PMAP process | ||
| N1/N2:
HHS CIO Work Plans will be a requirement across all HHS Divisions. The Division head or rating official (if other than the Division head) will determine the overall summary rating for Division-level CIOs. |
Dec 31, 2015 | Complete | Required HHS CIO Work Plans across all HHS Divisions | ||
| O1:
HHS will publicly post the required Division IT Leadership Directory on the HHS CIO web site. |
Dec 31, 2015 | Complete |
This action has been completed and can be found
at the following locations:
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| O1:
The HHS CIO will include information about employees that hold the duties of a CIO but not the official title in their position description. |
May 31, 2017 | Complete | The Digital Strategy website has been updated with this information | ||
| P1/P2:
The HHS CIO and CHCO will work collaboratively to review and refine competency requirements for IT staff and leadership. |
Dec 15, 2016 | Complete | HHS has several established workforce and career development programs. The HHS Acquisition Workforce (HHSAW) Program was established to comply with Federal mandates and enhance the professional knowledge and capabilities of personnel involved in various phases of the acquisition lifecycle, across the Department. | ||
| P1/P2:
The HHS CIO is working with the HHS CHCO on establishing career ladder and competencies for three IT cybersecurity positions. |
Dec 15, 2016 | Complete | A career path for IT Cybersecurity Project/Program Managers has been finalized; the vision is to ensure alignment with NICE, FITARA, and the Acquisition Workforce Development Strategic Plan. | ||
| Q1:
Changes in reporting relationships (CIO to Agency Heads or Deputy/COO) will strengthen access to Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Departmental leadership. |
Dec 31, 2015 | Complete | A permanent CIO was appointed effective May 28th, 2019. The HHS CIO position reports to the HHS Deputy Secretary |