White House Releases Modular IT Development Guide

The White House released a new guide encouraging agencies to shift away from larger multi-year information technology projects to a more nimble approach.

The guide, “Contracting Guidance to Support Modular IT Development,” released by U.S. Chief Information Officer Steven VanRoekel and Office of Federal Procurement Policy Administrator Joseph Jordan, provides IT, acquisition, finance and program offices practices for how they can break investments into more manageable chunks, eliminate the lag between requirements and quickly create solutions.

“By requiring frequent deliverables, agencies will also be better able to hold contractors accountable for keeping projects on track and delivering solutions that truly meet agency needs,” the two said in a post on the White House blog. “And by breaking investments into smaller chunks, agencies may be able to drive more competition – including small businesses that might not have been equipped to compete for the massive, multi-year projects of the past. And more competition means a better value for the American people.”