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FAQ

General

  • 1. What is the IT Dashboard?

    The IT Dashboard was launched on June 1, 2009, which provided Federal agencies and the public with the ability to view details of Federal information technology (IT) investments online and to track their progress over time. 

    The Federal IT Dashboard helps the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) meet their statutory collection and reporting obligations by streamlining data submissions and transforming the Federal IT Data collection into a coherent, modularized ecosystem. This ecosystem is centered around an improved data collection effort that better supports partner agencies and OMB. In addition, the modernization of the Federal IT Dashboard includes the enhancement of visual renderings through an updated user interface. This will act as a premier user-centric site, allowing for integrated metrics, enhanced analytics, and decision support tools. 

  • 1. Who is the intended audience for the IT Dashboard?

    The IT Dashboard is a website that enables federal agencies, industry, the general public and other stakeholders to view details of Federal IT investments.

  • 1. How do I log in?

    To login, click the “Log in” button at the upper right of the page, and provide your authentication credentials.

    2. How do I request access?
    • Set up an OMB MAX account at https://portal.max.gov/portal/home,
    • Log into the MAX Portal
    • Go to "My Applications"
    • Find "IT Dashboard" and click "request access"
    • The agency’s designated IT Dashboard administrator will be automatically notified of the request via email, and can approve or deny it.
    • OMB MAX will send the requester an email with the adjudication of their request from the agency’s designated IT Dashboard administrator.
    3. Who has access/can log in?

    Access can be given to members of the executive branch agencies by their agency’s designated IT Dashboard administrator.

IT Portfolio

  • 1. What information does the IT Dashboard display?

    The Federal IT Dashboard displays a subset of data from agencies' IT Portfolio investments, including Chief Information Officer (CIO) evaluation, contract, and project information reported by agencies. For a list of data feeds available to the public on the IT Dashboard, see the "Data Feeds" FAQs below. The following 26 agencies have data available on the IT Dashboard:

    • Department of Agriculture
    • Department of Commerce
    • Department of Defense
    • Department of Education
    • Department of Energy
    • Department of Health and Human Services
    • Department of Homeland Security
    • Department of Housing and Urban Development
    • Department of Justice
    • Department of Labor
    • Department of State
    • Department of the Interior
    • Department of the Treasury
    • Department of Transportation
    • Department of Veterans Affairs
    • Environmental Protection Agency
    • General Services Administration
    • National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    • National Archives and Records Administration
    • National Science Foundation
    • Nuclear Regulatory Commission
    • Office of Personnel Management
    • Small Business Administration
    • Social Security Administration
    • U.S. Agency for International Development
    • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
    2. Why was the IT Dashboard launched?

    The IT Dashboard shines light onto the performance and spending of IT investments across the Federal Government. If a project is over budget or behind schedule, the dashboard shows by how much money and time, and who was responsible--not just contact information but also their picture. The IT Dashboard gives the public access to the same tools and analysis that the government uses to oversee the performance of the Federal IT investments. The transparency and analysis features of the IT Dashboard make it harder for underperforming projects to go unnoticed, and easier for the government to focus action on the projects where it's needed most.

  • 1. How are CIO Evaluations determined?

    The Agency Chief Information Officer (CIO) rates each investment based on his or her best judgment, using a set of pre-established criteria. The evaluation should reflect the CIO's assessment of the risk and the investment's ability to accomplish its goals. CIOs should consult with appropriate stakeholders (e.g., Chief Acquisition Officers, program managers) when making their evaluation.

    The following factors and supporting examples should be used to inform the evaluation:

    Evaluation Factor Supporting Examples
    Risk Management
    • Risk Management Strategy Exists
    • Risks are well understood by senior leadership
    • Risk log is current and complete
    • Risks are clearly prioritized
    • Mitigation plans are in place to address risks
    Requirements Management
    • Investment objectives are clear and scope is controlled
    • Requirements are complete, clear and validated
    • Appropriate stakeholders are involved in requirements definition
    Contractor Oversight
    • Acquisition strategy is defined and managed via an Integrated Program Team
    • Agency receives key reports, such as earned value reports, current status, and risk logs
    • Agency is providing appropriate management of contractors such that the government is monitoring, controlling, and mitigating the impact of any adverse contract performance
    Historical Performance
    • No significant deviations from planned cost and schedule
    • Lessons learned and best practices are incorporated and adopted
    Human Capital
    • Qualified management and execution team for the IT investments and/or contracts supporting the investment
    • Low turnover rate
    Other
    • Other factors that the CIO deems important to forecasting future success

    Evaluation ratings are based on a five-point risk scale, as follows:

    Evaluation
    (By Agency CIO)    		 Color
    5-Low Risk Green
    4-Moderately Low Risk Green
    3-Medium Risk Yellow
    2-Moderately High Risk Red
    1-High Risk Red
  • 1. An interagency agreement is similar to a contract. Should I also report those with my contract information?

    No, agencies are not required to report interagency agreements to the IT Dashboard. Note: OMB expects agencies to report all interagency agreements as contributions in the IT Portfolio

    2. What is the meaning of a red X on the contracts page?

    If a contract match with USASpending is not found based on the data provided by the agency, the IT Dashboard displays the red X symbol with the following note: Agency-provided contract information does not match with a www.USASpending.gov record.

    The following fields are used to determine a match:

    • Procurement Instrument Identifier (PIID)
    • Contracting Agency ID (if different than the Funding Agency)
    • Indefinite Delivery Vehicle Procurement Instrument Identifier (IDV PIID)
    • Indefinite Delivery Vehicle Agency Identifier (IDV Agency ID)
    • Submitting Agency ID (derived as the agency of the investment pertaining to the contract)
    3. How often should contracts be updated?

    Contracts should be updated as they are awarded. Both, the FAR and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 require reporting of these contracts within thirty days of award. Note: The IT Dashboard links to www.USAspending.gov for contract information.

    4. What kind of contract information is available in the IT Dashboard?
    • Pre-Awarded Contracts
    • Awarded Contract
    • Post-Solicitation

    Note: Future Planned Contracts and Sub-contract Awards are not required to be reported, however an agency may provide this information if desired. Future Contracts are not made public as this information is "Procurement Sensitive".

    5. What data structure should agencies use to help identify contract numbers in USA Spending?

    To assist in the linkage of contract and task order numbers from the Business Case Contracts Table to USASpending, agencies should provide the following information to the IT Dashboard for "Contract/Task Order Numbers," based on the FPDS-NG data requirements (as specified in the FPDS-NG Data Element Dictionary).

    Part of Indefinite Delivery Vehicle (IDV)? Procurement Instrument Identifier (PIID) Example
    No Data Element 1A (NTE 50 characters) "00063200203DNBCHC020042"
    Yes Data Element 1A, and the Referenced PIID, Data Element 1C (NTE 100 characters) "GS09Q08DN0165-IDV-GS10F0216N"
  • 1. Should FTEs costs be included in the Project/Activities costs?

    Yes, Full Time Equivalent (FTE) costs should be included in a Project’s cost values.

    2. What is a project?

    A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to accomplish a unique product or service with a defined start and end point and specific objectives that, when attained, signify completion. Projects are undertaken for development, modernization, enhancement, disposal, or maintenance of an IT asset.

    [Note: Agencies should provide an update to project data within 30 days of the corresponding event (e.g., change in a project's status).]

    3. How are the project schedule variances calculated on the IT Dashboard?

    The IT Dashboard displays whether each project is on, ahead of, or behind schedule. Project schedule variance is calculated as follows:

    • Schedule variance in days: Planned Completion Date - Projected Date, Today's Date, or Actual Completion Date (see criteria below)

    • Schedule variance (%): Schedule variance in days / (Planned Completion Date - Planned Start Date)

    IT Dashboard logical criteria used for project schedule variance calculations when incomplete project data availability occurs:

    • If a project has no Actual Completion Date reported, and Projected Completion Date is in the future, then Projected Completion Date is used

    • If a project has no Actual Completion Date reported, and the Projected Completion Date already passed, then Today's Date is used

    • If a project has an Actual Completion Date value reported, then Actual Completion Date is used

    4. How are project cost variances calculated on the IT Dashboard?

    The IT Dashboard displays whether each project is on, under, or over budget. Project cost variance is calculated as follows:

    • Cost Variance (Monetary Amount): Planned Total Cost - Projected or Actual Total Cost (see criteria below)

    • Cost Variance (%): Cost Variance (Monetary Amount / Planned Total Cost

    IT Dashboard logical criteria (business rules?) used for project cost variance calculations when incomplete project data availability occurs:

    • If a project has no Actual Total Cost, Projected Total Cost is used

    • If a project has an Actual Total Cost but no Actual Completion Date, Projected Total Cost is used

    • If a project has both an Actual Total Cost and an Actual Completion Date, then Actual Total Cost is used

    5. How does the IT Dashboard Color Coding System work?
    Evaluation (By Agency CIO) Color
    5-Low Risk Green
    4-Moderately Low Risk Green
    3-Medium Risk Yellow
    2-Moderately High Risk Red
    1-High Risk Red
    6. What is operational performance metric reporting?

    Operational performance reporting identifies performance metric targets for major investments. Each metric indicates how often actual measurements will be reported (monthly, quarterly or semi-annually) and provides a unit of measure. Major investments are expected to provide a minimum of five active performance metrics. At least three of these performance metrics should be classified as "Strategic and Business Results" using the Performance Measurement Category Mapping field. And, at least one of these "Strategic and Business Results" metrics should have a monthly reporting frequency. Major investments are also expected to report at least one performance metric classified as "Customer Satisfaction" using the Performance Measurement Category Mapping field. 

  • 1. What access permissions are required to submit IT Portfolio data to the IT Dashboard?

    There are two types of permissions that are required before an individual can submit data to the IT Dashboard on behalf of their agency.

    1. IT Collect API Permission: Permissions of who can submit data to the IT Dashboard via the IT Collect API tool are managed through each agency’s IT Portfolio Management (ITPfM) tool. User access permissions for the IT Collect API tool is managed separately from those permissions access to the IT Dashboard site.

    2. IT Dashboard User Permission: Each agency maintains the responsibility to identify individual(s) and authorize those individual(s) the permissions necessary to view non-public IT Portfolio data on the Federal IT Dashboard.

    2. Who can update an agency’s IT Portfolio data into the IT Dashboard?

    Each agency maintains the responsibility for identifying which person(s) on their staff should be assigned the responsibility for ensuring their IT Portfolio data is updated as required by OMB policy.

    3. How do agencies submit their IT Portfolio data into the IT Dashboard?

    Submitting IT Portfolio data into the IT Dashboard involves these three broadly defined steps:

    Step 1: Agencies collect and validate the necessary IT portfolio data as required by the most recently published OMB policy.

    Step 2: Agencies load their IT Portfolio data into the IT Collect API tool.

    Step 3: Agencies will complete and confirm their IT Portfolio data submissions into the IT Dashboard by selecting the “Funding Lock” button on the IT Collect API tool.

    (Note: if an IT Collect API user does not perform the “Funding Lock” after their final data submission has been completed then the IT Dashboard will not reflect the latest data that was submitted)

  • 1. What data feeds are made available to the public?

    The following data feeds are available in the public view:

    Feed Description
    IT Portfolio Provides an investment level overview of each Agency IT Portfolio Summary submission.
    IT Portfolio - IT Cost Pools Provides a technology cost breakout across the nine cost categories as reflected in the TBM Taxonomy framework version 4.0.
    IT Portfolio - IT Towers Provides a technology cost breakout across the eleven cost categories as reflected in the TBM Taxonomy framework version 4.0.
    IT Portfolio - IT Cost Pool & IT Tower Combines the individual IT Cost Pools and IT Towers cost breakouts into a single data feed.
    IT Portfolio - Funding Sources Provides funding source information that includes funding amount, funding type, source type, fiscal year for each funding dimension of each budget account.
    Budget Account Summary Provides a breakout of an Agency’s CIO authority for each Budget Account Code.
    CIO Evaluation History Provides historical data previously submitted CIO ratings and comments.
    Contracts Provides an overview of contract information including information matched with USAspending.gov.
    Projects Provides project performance data that includes cost, schedule, and variance information.
    Operational Analysis Provides the data analysis and analysis results of each agency-conducted Operational Analysis.
    Performance Metrics Provides an overview of an IT investment's operational performance across Customer Satisfaction, Strategic and Business Results, Financial Performance, or Innovation performance measures.
    Performance Metric Actuals Provides the actual results of an investment's performance measure in comparison to the targets as determined by the agency measuring such performance.
    2. How are the IT Dashboard data feeds populated for the IT Portfolio data and Business Case exports?

    The majority of the data points provided by the data feeds is directly populated using the IT Portfolio data as submitted by agencies via IT Collect API tool. However, there are some exceptions within the IT Portfolio data sets submitted by agencies where certain fields may be the result of automated calculations, system-derived data elements, or otherwise, system-generated.

  • 1. Is all of the IT Portfolio data submitted by agencies made available to the public via the IT Dashboard for any given budget?

    No, although the primary objective of OMB is to improve the accountability and performance of federal technology investments through the transparency that the IT Dashboard provides to the public, there exists certain conditions under which the IT Portfolio data, or subsets of the IT Portfolio data, will not be deemed suitable for public release on the IT Dashboard. There are four conditions which IT Portfolio data will not be made available to the public via the IT Dashboard:

    1. The President’s budget formulation process. During the budget formulation process portions of IT Portfolio data submitted by agencies is deemed not suitable for public release, with data that may contain pre-decisional information. "Pre-decisional" describes information which is not finalized until the release of the President's Budget. The following portions of an agency’s submission are not available to the public during this period:

    • "New" investments: Investments that only have spending in the budget year (the fiscal year for which the budget is being considered)

    • Planned IT spending levels in the budget year

    2. Technology investments for national security missions. The IT Dashboard does not publicly display national security-sensitive information or control unclassified information provided by agencies.

    3. Procurement-Sensitive Data: Any data related to federal procurements that, if released to the public, would adversely impact the Government's negotiating position is considered "procurement-sensitive." This includes, for example, planned spending estimates in years beyond the budget year and future projects data

    4. Other Data: This includes personally identifiable information (PII) related to IT investments

    2. Should agencies redact sensitive contract data in submissions to OMB to avoid release to the public?

    Agencies should not redact information sent to the IT Dashboard. Processes have been put into place to ensure sensitive information will not be publicly displayed. To prevent the exposure of potentially sensitive data, agencies should ensure submissions are consistent with requested data (e.g., avoid identifying contracts not yet awarded as "awarded").

Data Center Information

  • 1. How does OMB Policy impact DCOI IDC reporting and submissions?

    Agencies are no longer required to submit DCOI inventory data on a quarterly basis. While agencies are not reporting DCOI information to OMB, agencies are expected to continue to maintain internal DCOI inventories.

    2. Can I include cost savings realized through closing and consolidating non-tiered facilities, even though non-tiered facilities are not within the current scope of the DCOI policy?

    Yes, cost savings achieved from closures and consolidations of non-tiered facilities should be reported as Data Center cost savings via the IDC Cost savings JSON file.

  • 1. Are Key Mission Facilities anything other than agency-owned?

    Since only agency-owned data centers were counted towards closure goals by DCOI, and Key Mission Facilities are data centers that cannot be closed under the policy, all facilities marked as Key Mission Facilities must be agency-owned facilities.

    2. How are each of the four-optimization metrics calculated on the IT Dashboard?

    1. Virtualization

      • Total Virtual Hosts divided by the sum of Total Servers and Total Mainframes

        • Total Virtual Hosts / (Total Servers + Total Mainframes)

    2. Energy Metering

      • The sum of data centers with Energy Metering divided by the sum of total data centers

        • (Total Data Centers that marked “Yes” to Energy Metering / Total Data Centers) * 100

    3. Underutilized Servers (see Servers/Server Counts section for more details)

      • The sum of Underutilized Servers divided by the sum of Total Servers

        • (Underutilized Servers / Total Servers) * 100

    4. Availability

      • The difference of Planned Hours of Facility Availability minus Actual Hours of Facility Downtime divided by Planned Hours of Facility Availability then multiplied by 100

        • ((Planned Hours of Facility Availability – Actual Hours of Facility Downtime) / Planned Hours of Facility Availability) * 100

  • 1. Does Total Servers Count include or exclude Virtual Hosts since they are separately reported?

    The counts for servers, mainframes, etc. should include all physical devices that match the description, even if they are also virtual hosts. Based on this definition, the count of Virtual Hosts can therefore not be greater than the count of Total Servers.

    Example: The Department of Made-Up Scenarios (DMUS) has 10 mainframes, 2 of which are virtual hosts, and 50 servers, of which 15 host virtual containers. DMUS would report 10 for Total Mainframes, 50 for Total Servers, and 17 for Virtual Hosts.

  • 1. What is the connection between M-21-05 and FITARA?

    The FITARA Enhancement Act extended the data center requirements of FITARA through October 1st, 2022.