IT Modernization: USDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Farm Production and Conservation Mission Area
Fast Facts
In 2017, USDA announced a major initiative to provide better customer service to U.S. farmers, ranchers, and foresters by modernizing its IT operations. A key IT project was the 2018 launch of Farmers.gov to provide online self-service applications, like a farm loan eligibility tool.
However, USDA has only minimally overseen the development of Farmers.gov. For example, the project has proceeded without cost and schedule estimates. Also, employees have raised issues with the usability and usefulness of Farmers.gov applications and tools.
We made 15 recommendations to USDA to help support its IT modernization and address customer service concerns.
Highlights
What GAO Found
In 2018, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area launched Farmers.gov to provide farmers, ranchers, and foresters with online self-service applications and business tools. USDA and FPAC have provided minimal oversight for Farmers.gov. Specifically, the governance boards did not conduct reviews at predefined checkpoints for Farmers.gov, as required by USDA's governance framework (see figure). This lack of oversight has allowed FPAC to proceed without developing key program documentation for Farmers.gov, such as project plans and cost and schedule estimates. Further, employee feedback on elements of Farmers.gov already deployed have raised a number of questions on the (1) usability of applications or tools that have already been deployed, and (2) risks that ongoing development efforts and software enhancements will produce deliverables that do not meet customer needs. Improving USDA oversight of Farmers.gov and developing repeatable processes that align Agile methodology to USDA's governance framework can help address these concerns and lead to enhanced service for intended customers.
Status of Required Governance Reviews and Key Documentation for the Farm Production and Conservation‘s Farmers.gov program, as of April 2021
FPAC had not fully implemented key leading practices supporting IT workforce planning, duplication and overlap, and customer service that are necessary to ensure success. Specifically, FPAC had not implemented seven of eight IT workforce planning activities. Until it does, FPAC will be limited in its ability to address gaps in knowledge and skills. Further, while FPAC had several IT modernization initiatives underway as of March 2021 to maximize efficiencies and reduce IT duplication and overlap, it had not developed a mission area strategic plan that included the associated performance goals and measures to monitor IT program performance against efficiency goals. Moreover, while FPAC had actions and plans to address customer service measures and associated targets and goals, it had yet to fully implement this activity. Implementation of these key IT modernization practices would provide greater assurance that FPAC is meeting the needs of farmers, ranchers, and foresters.
Why GAO Did This Study
In 2017, USDA combined three of its agencies under the FPAC mission area to, among other things, improve customer service for farmers, ranchers, and foresters. For fiscal year 2020, FPAC reported obligating a total of $229 million on IT investments to support its mission.
GAO was requested to review USDA's IT modernization efforts to improve customer service for farmers and ranchers. For this report, GAO examined the extent to which (1) USDA and FPAC are effectively overseeing the development of Farmers.gov; and (2) FPAC's IT workforce planning, efforts to reduce duplication and overlap, and customer service are consistent with leading practices. To do so, GAO compared key Farmers.gov documentation to USDA's IT investment oversight policies and procedures. GAO also compared departmental documentation to leading practices for IT workforce planning, duplication and overlap, and customer service. For both objectives, GAO interviewed cognizant agency officials to obtain their views and verify the information provided.
Recommendations
GAO is making 15 recommendations to USDA to strengthen program oversight and address key IT leading practices supporting its IT modernization. USDA concurred with all recommendations and described actions it is taking to implement each of them.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the E-Board to establish and execute a regular schedule to review, approve, and recommend IT investments. (Recommendation 1) |
In April 2022, the department provided an updated E-Board charter, signed by the USDA Deputy Secretary, that requires quarterly meetings. The department also provided evidence that the board had met quarterly since July 2021 and the meetings included recommendations and approvals regarding IT investments. With continued oversight, the department can ensure timely delivery in meeting planned cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the E-Board to consider the extent to which it should review and approve decision points that have passed and the associated required documents for Farmers.gov, in accordance with the requirements of the USDA Integrated IT Governance Framework and the approved tailoring agreement. (Recommendation 2) |
In April 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Executive Information Technology Resource Investment Board (E-Board) met to review, discuss, and make recommendations concerning Farmers.gov, in accordance with the requirements of the USDA Integrated IT Governance Framework. The E-Board's review resulted in the approval to combine decision gates 3 through 6 through an updated tailoring agreement, as documented in an April 2022 decision memorandum. By aligning their reviews to USDA's governance framework and conducting decision-gate reviews, the E-Board better ensured oversight and timely delivery in meeting planned cost, schedule, and performance objectives for Farmers.gov.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the FPAC Assistant Chief Information Officer to provide clearly documented guidance that supports a consistent and repeatable process for how a program office should apply Agile development methodologies in a manner that is consistent with the department's expectations for IT oversight. (Recommendation 3) | The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission developed a framework (Called the Navigable IT Manufacturing Process Framework Model), which officials stated they began implementing in April 2020, and provided supporting documentation. The model demonstrates how the software development lifecycle processes, Agile development methodologies, and governance framework are aligned. Officials demonstrated how the framework was applied through a tailoring process to one program. In February 2024, FPAC officials issued a memo formally incorporating the process into the agency's lifecycle development process. As result of the actions, FPAC has clearly...
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of establishing and maintaining a workforce planning process. (Recommendation 4) |
In August 2023, agency officials noted that the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Workforce Steering Committee had updated the technical competencies for its IT workforce. Subsequently the FPAC Human Resources group used the updated competencies to develop a competency assessment. In September 2024, the FPAC Human Resources division released an IT workforce trends and analysis report, as well as a two-year strategic workforce plan that delineates key activities of a workforce planning process, including future activities.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of developing competency and staffing requirements. (Recommendation 5) |
In summer 2024, agency officials conducted a competency gap assessment, which did not result in usable data. Agency official stated that they were assessing their staff competency needs and developing training plans with the help of the human resources division. Officials noted that they were in the process of creating training plans that will help close any competency gaps. We will continue to review FPAC's progress in this area.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of assessing competency and staffing needs regularly. (Recommendation 6) |
In September 2024, agency officials noted that it is in the process of developing a plan that is to include closing competency gaps in addition to its normal training requirements. In addition, moving forward, agency officials noted that leadership will develop a plan to deploy a competency assessment bi-annually. This effort has an estimated date of completion of the end of fiscal year 2026. We will continue to review FPAC's progress in this area.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of assessing gaps in competencies and staffing. (Recommendation 7) |
In summer 2024, agency officials conducted a competency gap assessment, which did not result in usable data. Agency official stated that they were assessing their staff competency needs and developing training plans with the help of the human resources division. They noted the estimated date of completion for the identifying the training needs to close competency gaps and initiating the development of the planned actions was November 2024. As of February 2025, we have not yet received information on the gap assessment. We will continue to review FPAC's progress in this area.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of developing strategies and plans to address gaps in competencies and staffing. (Recommendation 8) | In 2023, FPAC human resources officials used U.S. Department of Agriculture's Workforce Steering Committee technical competencies for its IT workforce to develop a competency assessment process. Subsequently, in summer 2024, agency officials conducted a gap assessment, which did not result in usable data. Agency official stated that they are assessing their staff competency needs and developing training plans with the help of the human resources division. They noted the estimated date of completion for identifying the training needs to close competency gaps and initiating the development of the planned actions was November 2024. As of February 2025, we have not yet received information...
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of implementing activities that address gaps in competencies and staffing. (Recommendation 9) | In 2023, FPAC human resources officials used U.S. Department of Agriculture's Workforce Steering Committee technical competencies for its IT workforce to develop a competency assessment process. Subsequently, in summer 2024, agency officials conducted a gap assessment, which did not result in usable data. Agency official stated that they are assessing their staff competency needs and developing training plans with the help of the human resources division. They noted the estimated date of completion for identifying the training needs to close competency gaps and initiating the development of the planned actions was November 2024, but as of February 2025, we have not received information...
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of monitoring the agency's progress in addressing competency and staffing gaps. (Recommendation 10) |
In September 2024, the FPAC Human Resources group had developed metrics to help with measuring staff skill sets and competency models and is in the process of developing a metric tracking system to ensure the areas are addressed and gaps are closed. The estimated date of completion was November 2024. As of February 2025, FPAC had not yet provided evidence that the activity is completed. We will continue to review FPAC's progress in this area.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Business Center Chief Operating Officer to have the FPAC mission area implement the key IT workforce planning activity of reporting to agency leadership on progress in addressing competency and staffing gaps. (Recommendation 11) |
In September 2024, the FPAC Human Resources group had developed metrics to help with measuring staff skill sets and competency models and is in the process of developing a metric tracking system to ensure the areas are addressed and gaps are closed. The estimated date of completion for this effort is November 2024. As of February 2025, we have not received evidence of the system's completion. We will continue to review FPAC's progress in this area.
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| Department of Agriculture |
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Assistant Chief Information Officer to have the FPAC mission area develop a strategic plan, in alignment with departmental policies and procedures, to include performance goals and measures for maximizing efficiencies and reducing IT duplication and overlap. (Recommendation 12) |
As of October 2024, the department stated that FPAC's mission area IT strategic plan was still in the review and approval process, expected by the end of November 2024. As of February 2025, we have not received a copy of the strategic plan. We will continue to monitor the status of this recommendation.
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| Department of Agriculture |
Priority Rec.
The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Assistant Chief Information Officer to have the FPAC mission area monitor IT program performance against efficiency goals and measures documented in its plan for maximizing efficiencies and reducing IT duplication and overlap. (Recommendation 13) |
In August 2023, agency officials noted that they were developing metrics dependent on the FPAC IT strategic plan. However, in October 2024, the IT strategic plan was still in the review and approval process. As of February 2025, USDA had yet to provide the plan or metrics. We will continue to monitor the status of this recommendation.
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Director for Customer Experience to establish baselines and measures for customer service performance, and targets and goals associated with the progress. (Recommendation 14) | In August 2023, USDA officials stated that the FPAC Customer Experience division had gathered feedback and completed analysis of the 2020 Producer Satisfaction Survey. Officials developed performance indicators associated with improving customer experience feedback and customer experience support. The agency developed indicators associated with these improvements. For example, officials developed real-time customer satisfaction surveys to collect customer feedback on the performance of key websites providing customer service. They also developed detailed goals and targets to support customer experience, including to provide 24/7 web-based access to certain services. As a result of its...
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| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should ensure that the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) directs the Director for Customer Experience to establish a timeframe for releasing the customer service survey results and plans for addressing the customer feedback to the public. (Recommendation 15) |
In August 2023, agency officials stated that after finishing analysis of the 2020 Producer Satisfaction Survey, the FPAC Customer Experience Division developed multiple plans for addressing customer feedback. While FPAC officials had previously stated that they intended to release the survey results to the public, agency officials stated that they subsequently determined that the specific results would not be released. The agency has since released multiple customer experience action plans to the public through the federal government's high impact service providers website. As a result of its actions, USDA will improve transparency into its customer experience plans.
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