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EPA Proceeds with Enhancements to its Financial Systems

Release Date: 09/15/2010
Contact Information: CONTACT: Cathy Milbourn [email protected] 202-564-7849 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it has received approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to proceed with enhancements to the agency’s financial system. The project aims to improve the way EPA manages its business while ensuring accountability and financial controls.

“I’m pleased with the outcome of our OMB review,” said Barbara Bennett, EPA’s Chief Financial Officer. “Our new approach makes good business sense and allows us to focus our efforts and better plan future project management.”

In June 2010, OMB issued guidance requiring the immediate review of financial systems information technology projects across the federal government. The guidance required federal agencies to split projects into smaller, simpler segments with clear deliverables, focus on the most critical business needs first, and incorporate ongoing, transparent project oversight.

In response, EPA designed a new phase-based approach to reach the goal of modernizing its financial system. Rather than implementing the entire project all at once, EPA will proceed with the first phase of the project and will make individual determinations about subsequent phases of the project based on factors such as business requirements and newly available technologies. The subsequent phases were projected to cost more than $180 million.

With joint oversight from EPA’s chief financial officer and chief information officer, the approach will help to ensure the project’s success. It also provides a more flexible platform to continue to implement improvements incrementally, delivering project value to agency operations sooner.