GSA Blog

Technology-boosting TMF Investments Deliver Benefits for the American Public

The American people deserve government services that are accessible, equitable and secure. Technology is increasingly central to how the government delivers those services. 

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) raises the bar for modernizing federal systems and delivering public services more quickly, inexpensively, at greater scale, and with a higher likelihood of success through strong project planning, governance, and guidance prior to project execution. The TMF strategically invests in priority IT modernization projects that are aligned with the fast pace of changing technology and agency needs. By doing so, the TMF is advancing technological capabilities – from security to data management – and is transforming federal IT overall.

Following the announcement of new investments today, here are a few examples of how the TMF has invested in multiple projects that are helping many agencies deliver what people need when they need:

• Feeding More Americans 
  The TMF has helped expedite the food safety and quality inspection process of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With support from the TMF, the USDA Specialty Crops Inspection Division digitized its inspection process and increased its inspection volumes from 60 billion pounds of fresh and processed fruits in fiscal year 2018 to 64 billion pounds in fiscal year 2021. The project also expedited data collection which helped provide safe quality food products for 241 million servings of combat rations, public school lunches, and more.
• Improving Work Certifications in Farming 
  TMF investments have helped the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) accelerate its processing of labor certifications for agriculture and non-agricultural work visas. Small farmers rely on these certifications to hire workers during peak harvest seasons. The project also  allowed farmers to completely access the status of temporary work applications directly from their Farmers.Gov account, and electronically transfer their case file to other immigration agencies. In under three years, DOL processed 176% more certifications to support farm work and doubled those that support the trade craft and hospitality industries, while also avoiding more than $1.9 million in administrative expenses annually.
• Modernized Payment Processing 
  TMF investments have helped modernize the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) payment processing system. CBP is the second largest revenue-collecting agency in the government, processing over $90 billion in duties, taxes and fees for the United States and economy. The project improved overall security while creating a more reliable user experience for partnering agencies and the trade community. In addition, once the final release of the modern system is deployed, CBP can then retire the CBP Mainframe which will realize a cost savings of over $30 million a year.

The Technology Modernization Fund is working to transform the way the government uses technology to deliver for the American public in an equitable, secure and user-friendly way. The TMF invests in technology projects across government, providing incremental funding, technical assistance, and oversight throughout execution to ensure the success of its investments.  

We will continue to share these impact stories and show our commitment to building an effective and accountable government that puts the public first.