Ueland from OMB's DDM declares: 'Immediate action needed'
Modernizing the Federal Government: Trump Administration's New Agenda
The Trump administration has unveiled its new President's Management Agenda (PMA), with a focus on reorganizing and reforming the federal government, improving procurement processes, strengthening domestic manufacturing, and leveraging technology in the 21st century.
Eric Ueland, the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), emphasized the need for action in these areas. The aim is to modernize the federal government, making it more efficient, accountable, and responsive to contemporary challenges.
To achieve this, the administration plans to streamline government functions, enhance procurement processes, boost domestic manufacturing initiatives, and make thoughtful use of advanced technology. The emphasis on technology aligns with the broader push for American AI dominance and deregulation seen in recent executive actions.
One of the key areas of focus is the modernization of federal human resources systems, which currently cost agencies at least $2 billion a year to maintain. Ueland stated that consolidating and modernizing these systems is a crucial part of the reform and reorganization effort. The OPM has attempted to award a contract for a new HR system three times, with the third attempt involving the General Services Administration.
Another significant aspect of the agenda is the selling off of federal buildings. Since January, the government has sold 43 buildings, generating $200 million in proceeds and unloading $200 million in deferred liabilities. The OMB is not holding off for years while Congress decides whether to fund building upgrades; instead, they are selling buildings as soon as they are closed.
The OMB is also working on organizing and removing redundancies across the community, with the Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia and his team trying to determine the best way to do so. They are aiming to improve the effectiveness and organization of agency chief information officers (CIOs), breaking down barriers and ensuring integration for better results.
The OMB is also pushing for action on modernizing technology, starting with reducing the number of federal websites. They plan to bring the overall count down to 6,000 by eliminating 1,000 websites. Acting GSA Administrator Stephen Ehikian emphasized the need to address deferred maintenance, with a current estimate of $20 billion across the portfolio.
The PMA also includes new performance guidelines for federal employees. These guidelines include a new schedule of policy career and extending suitability from pre-hire to post-hire. President Trump has eliminated hundreds of thousands of nonessential positions across all agencies and departments, and the administration continues to streamline hiring, aiming to reduce the time from first offer to first sign on to 80 days.
In conclusion, the Trump administration's new President's Management Agenda is a comprehensive plan to modernize the federal government, improve efficiency, and boost American industrial and technological capabilities. The focus on technology, reorganization, procurement, and domestic manufacturing reflects the administration's priorities to overhaul government functions and meet contemporary challenges effectively.
The Trump administration's President's Management Agenda (PMA) envisions a federal workforce reimagined, leveraging technology to advance 21st-century operations. To achieve this, thoughtful use of advanced technology is a crucial part of the agenda, and efforts are underway to modernize federal human resources systems and reduce the number of federal websites for better efficiency.
