Cutting IT costs by consolidating systems: the US ‘Lines of Business’ Project 2009-23.1

Shortly after taking office in 2001, President George W Bush issued his “President’s Management Agenda” which described a range of projects intended to make the US government more results-oriented, more market-focused, and more accessible to citizens. The Agenda included expanding e-government. Bush proposed to spend $100 million in fiscal years 2002-2004 on cross-agency e-government projects. By 2004 the Office of Management and Budget had identified five “lines of business” to determine how information technology could be used to reduce costs, and improve service. The cost reductions would be achieved in part by consolidating IT services into a few agencies that would function as service providers.

This vignette case which tracks the response of the Senate and the Congress to the concept, includes three discussion questions.