IRS technology officer earns praise for comments
Two congressional staff members said CIO Todd Grams hit the mark with assessment of the technology modernization program.
Congressional staffers praised the chief technology officer at the Internal Revenue Service for his blunt assessment Tuesday of the agency's technology modernization effort.
Todd Grams, who became the agency's CIO in June 2003, said IRS officials attempted to modernize too many systems at once and lacked adequate technology personnel. The massive IRS modernization project, which includes the Customer Account Data Engine System and the Integrated Financial System, has received harsh criticism for missing deadlines and overspending.
In a speech Tuesday, Grams said the agency has learned not to "bite off more than you can chew, and get the right people in the right jobs."
Congressional staffers praised Grams for a blunt appraisal of the situation.
"I think Grams has probably put his finger on the important problems, when they try to do too many things at the same time they lose focus," according to a staff member from the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight. Committee members are disappointed that the modernization project has not made more progress, he said, but "the first step to acknowledge what you need to do in the future is to acknowledge what the current situation is."
The staff member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, praised the top officials at the IRS, led by Commissioner Mark Everson, and said Grams' speech epitomized a new approach.
"They are realistic and honest and upfront and candid, and that's very encouraging," the staff member said. "They just say what they find, and then go about fixing it."
Subcommittee member Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., has been harshly critical of the faltering and expensive modernization program in the past, and a Pomeroy staff member also praised Grams' speech.
"I think a lot of what he says makes sense," the staff member said.
During his speech, however, Grams also noted that the IRS was facing a large budget cut and would be hard pressed to fund all of its modernization initiatives.
"We don't have enough money to do everything," Grams said Tuesday. "There are going to be some tough decisions."
The Pomeroy staffer said a lack of adequate funding and resources also is to blame for the modernization program's failures.
"It's as much about IRS not getting the resources it needs from the [Bush] administration," the staff member said. "Yes, they are spread thin, but I don't think that IRS should take all the blame in this."