When it comes to the mix of agency cuts and spending in the Trump administration's fiscal 2018 budget, expect the General Services Administration to be in the black.
GSA received a $300 million budget increase in the White House's spending plan, most of it to supplement the administration's focus on information technology modernization.
The $10.5 billion budget will include more than $228 million to establish the Technology Modernization Fund—a central fund managed by GSA for agencies to draw resources for IT modernization projects.
GSA announced its intention to stand up the fund in September, providing an established alternative to an IT fund proposed in the Modernizing Government Technology Act, which is currently awaiting a Senate vote.
The budget measure is smaller than the $3.1 million proposed by the Obama administration a year ago, but is on-track with the White House’s emphasis on tech adoption.
"The $228 million is more in line with the MGT Act," said immixGroup market intelligence consultant Chris Wiedemann in a webcast with editor Aaron Boyd. "It’s a different approach that they are taking there.
"The amount of money is certainly smaller, but there are things you can do with relatively little upfront capital investment that you can draw from that modernization fund in order to achieve those things that lead to longer term cost savings."
The agency will also provide $53.7 million for the Federal Citizen Services Fund, which provides public engagement to front-facing digital government programs and promoting cybersecurity.
Wiedemann said that whether the budget provides enough for agencies to tackle IT modernization depends on what the target goals are.
The bulk of GSA’s budget will go towards the agency’s Public Buildings Service, including $135 million of the ongoing Department of Homeland Security headquarters consolidation at St. Elizabeth’s and $489 million for land port of entry construction in New York, California. and Arizona and additional LPOE repairs in Washington state.
Other funding projects include:
- $8.8 million for the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals to resolve disputes between contractors and agencies.
- $65 million for the Office of the Inspector General.
- $40 million to establish the Asset Proceeds and Space Management Fund, which will allow GSA, the Public Buildings Reform Board and other agencies assess public building inventory.
