got geoint?

One of the most resounding themes from GEOINT 2011 was how the Intelligence Community (IC) will be tasked with doing more with less in the coming years, as proposed budget cuts are imminent. During the event, General Clapper, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), highlighted how integration will play a major role in driving down IT costs for the IC — since 20 to 25 percent of the community’s activities are coded as IT. Though, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) needs to provide better guidance to agencies as to what counts as an IT investment and what doesn’t and demand more information on what they’re doing to reduce duplicative IT spending.

As General Clapper discussed at GEOINT 2011, the ODNI “did its homework” prior to the symposium and provided the OMB with the proposed budget cuts “and it calls for cuts in the double-digit range, with a B (for billion), over 10 year.”

According to NextGov, the new GAO report – coming out on the heels of GEOINT 2011 — also urged OMB to clarify which agencies are included in its estimated $80 billion in annual IT investments and which aren’t. Apparently, this figure doesn’t include intelligence agencies and other smaller agencies. And, it is believed that, once these costs are factored in, the $80 billion number will be much higher.

In addition, the GAO pointed out that OMB’s definition of an IT investment is too broad, leading to confusion between agencies about what they should be reporting. For example, several agencies counted research and development spending as an IT investment and others did not.

While the OMB works out its clarification regarding IT spending, it is clear that the times are changing, and IT efficiencies will be a major driver for bringing down costs for the IC.

Tags: Clapper, GAO IT Investment Report, GEOINT 2011, geospatial intelligence, got geoint?, ODNI, ODNI and Budget Cuts, OMB and IT Investment, USGIF