The U.S. chief information officer needs to ensure that agencies use a standardized cost model to improve consolidation and planning when concentrating data centers, the Government Accountability Office said in a new report.
Agencies should implement recognized best practices when establishing schedules and cost estimates for their consolidation efforts, GAO said.
“In light of these successes and challenges, it is important for OMB to continue to provide leadership and guidance, such as—as GAO previously recommended—using the consolidation task force to monitor agencies’ consolidation efforts,” the report said.
In 2010, as focal point for information technology management across the government, then federal CIO Vivek Kundra launched the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative to consolidate the growing number of federal data centers.
In July 2011, GAO evaluated 24 agencies’ progress on this effort and reported that most agencies had not yet completed data center inventories or consolidation plans and recommended that they do so.
In this subsequent review, GAO was asked to evaluate the extent to which the 24 agencies updated and verified their data center inventories and plans, which selected agencies have adequately completed key elements of their consolidation plans, and identify agencies’ notable consolidation successes and challenges.
