§8172 Management of Major Information Technology Projects

Summary

The Secretary must send the right congressional committees a report from the project’s business owner before any major information technology project that starts after the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022 begins. The report must show estimated acquisition, implementation, and life‑cycle costs; a schedule with big milestones, initial operating capability, and full capability or completion; and the key business, functional, and performance goals. The Secretary will use that report as the baseline for the project, update the baseline every year, and include the updated baseline in the budget documents sent to Congress with the President’s budget under section 1105 of title 31. If the Secretary finds a change or shortfall, they must tell the right congressional committees within 60 days and explain it. A reportable change is a cost change of 10 percent or more, a schedule slip of 180 days or more for a milestone or completion, or a failure or likely failure to meet a key objective. Each major project must be run by a team that includes a certified project manager (level three certification from the Department, the Federal Acquisition Institute under section 1201 of title 41, the Department of Defense under section 1701a of title 10, or an equivalent private certification approved by the Secretary) who works for the Office of Information and Technology or the office that started the project, a functional lead from the office that started the project, a technical lead from the Office of Information and Technology, a contracting officer, and enough other staff the Secretary thinks are needed.