Technology Modernization Fund announces targeted investments to improve customer service and security

January 24, 2024

WASHINGTON — The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) announced several new investments addressing security vulnerabilities and improving agencies’ ability to deliver excellent, equitable, and secure services and customer experience to the American public. These investments aim to increase federal protections of economic competition, help facilitate seamless and meaningful public participation in the federal rulemaking process, and revolutionize healthcare services for veterans.

“The Technology Modernization Fund helps agencies accelerate the delivery of products and services that meet today’s expectations of an exceptional Government experience,” said Clare Martorana, Federal CIO and TMF Board Chair. “These TMF investments will strengthen cybersecurity, reduce burden for the Federal workforce so they can focus on mission, and improve trust with the millions counting on the DOJ, GSA, and the Armed Forces Retirement Home to deliver government services.” 

“The mission of the TMF is simple: invest in technology to make government services simpler, more seamless, and secure,” said Larry Bafundo, TMF Executive Director. “Good technology is critical to serving the American public, and all of these investments are indicative of how the TMF can help agencies modernize nimbly and effectively.”

Department of Justice: Improving antitrust enforcement with modern technology

The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice enforces the nation’s antitrust laws, protecting competition across the economy. ATR is working to increase its protection of competition in the economy and to stop companies from secretly agreeing to fix prices or make other anticompetitive arrangements. Their cases are often highly complex and the defendants are often the largest and most well-resourced corporations in the world. 

The size and complexity of corporate communication has grown considerably since the Covid-19 pandemic and a great deal of communication shifted from email to chat-based applications. ATR’s current tooling and methods will not be able to keep up with these changes without improving the speed, convenience, and efficiency of working with datasets that include more than just traditional email.

A $45.5 million TMF investment aims to allow ATR to respond to this problem by rapidly acquiring and deploying updated review platforms, improving their internal IT service management, increasing the capability of their case management systems, and simplifying the public complaints process.

“This effort will free up time from employees currently spent mitigating IT deficiencies to instead focus on the enforcement work they were hired to do,” said Walt Cain, ATR Executive Officer. “This will in turn make the agency and the federal government more efficient and effective in promoting and protecting a competitive economy.”

General Services Administration: Modernizing regulatory services for the public and the federal government

The GSA eRulemaking Program was established in 2002 to provide shared services for rulemaking as a federal-wide line of business. The public relies on Regulations.gov to review and comment on proposed regulatory and non-regulatory actions. Federal agencies rely on the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) to publish information on the proposed actions to Regulations.gov and to review and consider public comments. However, the eRulemaking Program needs significant upgrades.

With $19.7 million in TMF funding and support, GSA will work to address near-term security vulnerabilities and risks to continuity of service. In parallel, GSA will begin a multi-year effort to transition to a modernized architecture that will better meet the needs of public and government users. 

“The TMF investment has potential for increasing public participation in rulemaking and improving regulations,” said Virginia Huth, GSA’s Assistant Commissioner, Office of Regulatory & Oversight Systems, Office of Technology Transformation Services. “Modernization aims to improve the capacity of the public to find and comment on rulemakings that are meaningful to them and better enable rulemakers to more efficiently adjudicate comments for substantive arguments and provide data-driven analysis.”  

Armed Forces Retirement Home: Transforming resident-centered healthcare through modernized electronic health record systems

The AFRH was established in 1811 as a promise from our nation to provide care for its retired and disabled military members who sacrificed to protect it. Today, the AFRH offers 1,100 residences and healthcare to enlisted U.S. veterans at its locations in Washington D.C. and Mississippi. 

AFRH’s current decade-old existing electronic health record (eHR) system suffers from inefficiencies, redundancies, and a high rate of data entry inconsistencies and errors. The system also lacks interoperability across the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and private sector provider networks, leading to unnecessarily delayed services, and errors in service delivery, impacting both healthcare providers and residents. 

With just over $6 million in TMF funding and support, this project aspires to revolutionize healthcare services at the AFRH by implementing a modernized, interoperable eHR system, enabling AFRH’s 500+ employees and contractors to better deliver quality care and services for their residents, and provide a more integral and informative experience for their families and caregivers.

“This transformative project represents a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to provide the highest quality healthcare to our residents,” said John RisCassi, AFRH Chief Operating Officer. “By modernizing our eHR system, we’re not just upgrading technology, we’re enhancing the lives of some of our Nation’s bravest heroes.” 

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About the TMF: The Technology Modernization Fund is working to transform the way the government uses technology to deliver for the American public in an equitable, secure, and user-centric way. The TMF invests in technology projects across government, providing incremental funding, technical assistance, and oversight throughout execution to ensure the success of its investments.

The TMF is overseen by the Technology Modernization Board, which is composed of government IT leaders representing proven expertise in technology, transformation, and operations. TMF investments have supported projects ranging from modernizing the payment system used by the government’s second largest revenue-collecting agency to helping to develop a new customer relationship management platform to maintain crucial international partnerships. To date, the TMF has received $225 million through the annual budget process and $1 billion through the American Rescue Plan to fund modernization projects. For more information, visit tmf.cio.gov.

About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing over $100 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.