Information Technology Acquisition Best Practices

Abstract

There is a plethora of best practices and strategies for information technology (IT) systems implementation. This abundance of information can overwhelm government acquisition professionals when trying to select the most appropriate path to execute IT modernization and may lead to sub-optimum decisions and disappointing outcomes. Mistakes can be very expensive, especially when shifting from legacy systems to modernized technology. Recent legislation addresses the cost of inefficiency: The Federal Government spends nearly 75 percent of its annual information technology funding on operating and maintaining existing legacy information technology systems. These systems can pose operational risks. These systems also pose security risks, including the inability to use current security best practices making these systems particularly vulnerable to malicious cyber activity. (The Modernizing Government Act of 2017). Government and industry need to create a process for efficient and cost-effective approaches to manage IT acquisition. Unfortunately, very few approaches are grounded in practical and tactical applications. This report provides recommendations for best practices, frameworks, and models that will improve IT acquisitions and modernization efforts for network services. The report will allow federal program managers and acquisition professionals to implement IT acquisition strategies that appropriately fit their situation on the acquisition lifecycle spectrum.