Technology Modernization Fund Backs NARA to Digitize Veterans’ Records
July 07, 2022
The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is supporting IT modernization projects at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the Agriculture Department
The seven-member board that manages the TMF announced recently it is investing $9.1 million in NARA to address a pandemic-era backlog of veterans’ record requests. TMF is also giving the USDA $4.4 million to invest in zero-trust cybersecurity architecture, given the agency’s role as a shared service provider to other agencies and as the source of many public-facing government services. The Federal Chief Information Officer on the TMF board said the investments will allow NARA and the USDDA to deploy secure technology that meets today’s customer expectations.
NARA receives more than a million records requests from veterans and their families every year. These military records are not needed to receive medical treatment, home loans, unemployment assistance, burials, and other benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. NARA also receives nearly 9 million records requests from over 400 federal agencies and offices to provide citizen services every year.
The COVID pandemic and mandatory telework for federal employees led to a severe delay in NARA processing and sending these largely paper-based records. NARA’s National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis currently houses 2 million boxes of military and medical records in 15 warehouses. Only 10% are available electronically.
The USDA stands out as a major service provider to the public since its mission covers federal nutrition programs and benefits, rural development, forest management, agriculture research, and international trade. It also houses the National Finance Center, which provides payroll services for over 600,000 employees and financial services for more than 40 agencies across the federal government. The TMF investment will improve the USDA’s threat monitoring, detection and response capabilities.
Prior to these awards, the TMF board used part of that $1 billion to invest in nine projects across seven agencies. But demand from agencies continues to outweigh the supply of IT investment dollars. The TMF board has received 130 proposals from 60 agencies and components, totaling over $2.5 billion.
The General Services Administration’s Administrator said the latest TMF investments are the latest examples of the board “making smart technology investments that provide better services to the public and save money for taxpayers.”