Technology Modernization Fund (TMF)
What Is the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF)? The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is a program that has financing for state agencies to obtain information technology (IT)–related modernization projects. It was a key component of the Modernizing Government Technology Act, which was passed during the Trump administration at the end of 2017. That act described the goal of the TMF as using “technology-related activities to enhance information technology, and to reinforce cybersecurity across the federal government.” Key Points The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is a program that gives financing to government agencies to get hold of IT-related modernization projects. The TMF was a key part of the 2017 Modernizing Government Technology Act. The fund has received $175 million from the Congressional annual budget. It’s also received significant funding, about $1 billion, as a part of the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, the president’s emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. Understanding the TMF The TMF is an example of the United States government’s IT modernization efforts, which constitute the broader category of the government’s information technology initiatives. A part of the government’s strategy to strengthen the IT systems of its agencies and adapt to the emerging digital infrastructure, the TMF is ultimately meant to deliver government services at a lower cost and greater efficiency, eliminate redundancies, and fix vulnerabilities to data breaches, among other cybersecurity issues, which became an increasing concern in the 21st century. In general, IT modernization can be a very hard expense to justify for state agencies, experts say. However, IT falls into the category of important updates that are required to happen regularly, and proactively pursuing new technology affords governments more flexibility in how they operate and adapt. How the TMF works The TMF’s funds are disbursed in an exceedingly two-phase process, consistent with the Technology Modernization Board, which manages the program. First, agencies send proposals to the board. During this phase, the agencies should prove that the funding for the project that they’re requesting money has never been restricted or denied by the U.S. Congress. Second, agencies whose proposals the board has approved send out detailed plans for the way they decide to use the money, including milestones for the project. The fund has received $175 million from the Congressional annual budget. it’s also received significant funding, about $1 billion, as a part of the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan, the president’s emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. In general, IT modernization is meant to stop data breaches and delays in government services. Specific programs are tailored to enhance the standard of services, lower costs, and increase security. Several government regulations apply to those update efforts, including the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, passed in 2014, which was one of the primary overhauls of the federal information system. That regulation required that federal agencies consolidate their data centres, which has begun to happen under programs like the Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI). The 24 participating government agencies reported that they closed 230 redundant data centres, saving taxpayers $1.1 billion between 2019 and 2020, in step with the govt. Accountability Office. The 2019 Federal Cloud Computing Strategy, another IT initiative, exists to hurry up the adoption of cloud technology among government agencies. Real-World Example A 2019 Government Accountability Office report highlighted the U.S. Department of Education’s legacy system joined the ten most in need of modernization. The system posed a high-security risk and used an outdated programming language, but the department failed to have a documented decision to modernize it, the report said. The Technology Modernization Fund announced that it’d finance “zero trust architecture” for the Department of Education in September of 2021. Zero trust architecture is a security framework that’s more adapted to the digital environment. It uses zero trust principles, meaning that user accounts aren’t trusted within the network-supported network location or asset ownership. The materials published by the U.S. General Services Administration claimed that the project would improve data security for students and borrowers whose data the Department of Education handles. The project was one of seven in a $311 million round of funding, which also included money for the Final Services Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and therefore the Office of Management and Budget. Those were the primary projects funded with the $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan. What’s the purpose of the TMF? The TMF seeks to allow government agencies greater flexibility in their projects to modernize information technology by providing incremental funding. In step with the guiding principles published by the fund, this can “enable agencies to reimagine and transform the way they use technology to deliver their mission and services to the American public in an efficient, effective, and secure manner. ٹیکنالوجی ماڈرنائزیشن فنڈ (ٹی ایم ایف) کیا ہے؟ ٹیکنالوجی ماڈرنائزیشن فنڈ (ٹی ایم ایف) ایک ایسا پروگرام ہے جو سرکاری ایجنسیوں کو انفارمیشن ٹیکنالوجی (ٰئی ٹی) سے متعلقہ جدید کاری کے منصوبوں کی ادائیگی کے لیے فنانسنگ فراہم کرتا ہے۔ یہ ماڈرنائزنگ گورنمنٹ ٹکنالوجی ایکٹ کا ایک اہم جزو تھا، جو 2017 کے آخر میں ٹرمپ انتظامیہ کے دوران منظور کیا گیا تھا، اس ایکٹ نے ٹی ایم ایف کے ہدف کو ‘انفارمیشن ٹیکنالوجی کو بہتر بنانے، اور سائبر سیکیورٹی کو بڑھانے کے لیے ٹیکنالوجی سے متعلقہ سرگرمیوں کے استعمال کے طور پر بیان کیا تھا۔ اہم نکات نمبر1:ٹیکنالوجی ماڈرنائزیشن فنڈ (ٹی ایم ایف) ایک ایسا پروگرام ہے جو حکومتی اداروں کو آئی ٹی سے متعلقہ جدید کاری کے منصوبوں کی ادائیگی کے لیے فنانسنگ فراہم کرتا ہے۔ نمبر2:ٹی ایم ایف 2017 کے ماڈرنائزنگ گورنمنٹ ٹیکنالوجی ایکٹ کا کلیدی حصہ تھا۔ نمبر3:فنڈ کو کانگریس کے سالانہ بجٹ سے 175 ملین ڈالر موصول ہوئے ہیں۔ اس نے بائیڈن انتظامیہ کے امریکن ریسکیو پلان کے حصے کے طور پر تقریباً 1 بلین ڈالر کی اہم فنڈنگ بھی حاصل کی ہے، جو کہ کورونا وائرس وبائی مرض پر صدر کا ہنگامی ردعمل ہے۔ ٹی ایم ایف کو سمجھنا ٹی ایم ایف ریاستہائے متحدہ کی حکومت کی آئی ٹی جدید کاری کی کوششوں کی ایک مثال ہے، جو حکومت کے