November 29, 2016

The Department of Energy’s Readiness to Implement the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014

The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act), enacted on May 9, 2014, required Federal agencies to report on financial and payment data elements in accordance with standards established by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).  Agency reported data will be made available to taxpayers and other stakeholders on a Web site operated by Treasury in consultation with OMB.  To assist agencies with the implementation of DATA Act requirements, Treasury and OMB developed an eight-step process to streamline implementation efforts.  The process included, among other things, organization of a DATA Act working group, inventory of existing agency data, and implementation of needed changes to information technology systems and business processes to capture required data.  

The DATA Act also required each Office of Inspector General (OIG) to report on the completeness, timeliness, quality, and accuracy of data and the use of data standards by their cognizant agency.  In preparation for the initial report to be issued by November 2017, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) encouraged the OIG community to undertake DATA Act “readiness reviews” using the Data Act Readiness Review Guide developed by the Federal Audit Executive Council, a component of CIGIE.  

Our review of the Department’s progress implementing the DATA Act did not identify any significant weaknesses and noted that the Department appeared to be on track to meet the requirements of the DATA Act.  We also found that the Department had made significant progress addressing the elements included in the Treasury/OMB eight-step implementation process.  Specifically, we determined that the Department had taken action to address each of the planning steps included in the DATA Act readiness review guidance and was well-positioned to execute and implement goals within the required timeframes.  In addition, while the potential exists that the requirements may change, the Department’s actions to date have positioned it to successfully execute the requirements of the DATA Act.

Topic: Management & Administration