OMB’s Financial Management Line of Business Initiative: A Brief Overview

Garrett Hatch
Analyst in American National Government

Federal financial management systems generate the information that is used by government officials to manage and oversee agency programs and operations. Concerns about the quality of agency financial information, and about the costs of operating and modernizing the systems that produce it, have prompted a number of systems improvement initiatives in recent years. One such effort, the Financial Management Line of Business (FMLOB), seeks to improve the cost, quality, and performance of government financial systems by consolidating agency core systems functions at a limited number of third-party shared service providers (SSPs), and by standardizing the related business processes government-wide. 

As part of the initiative, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2006 directed all federal agencies needing to upgrade or modernize their financial management systems either to transfer their core financial functions to an SSP, seek designation as an SSP, or to prove that they can operate their in-house systems with less risk and at a lower cost than an SSP. Agencies that undergo migration must, in most cases, select their SSPs through competitions between public and private organizations. OMB's guidance also requires all agencies eventually to adopt government-wide business and accounting practices, which are under development in FMLOB workgroups. 

It is widely acknowledged that consolidation and standardization might improve the cost and quality of agency financial data. Proponents suggest that the sooner agencies move to SSPs, the sooner the government might enhance its efficiency and capacity for oversight. Concerns have been expressed, however, by both public and private sector observers, that the initiative is moving too fast, and that important issues surrounding the transition to shared service providers have not been adequately addressed. Critics argue that migration should be delayed until agencies have strengthened their internal controls, fully evaluated the qualifications of potential SSPs, and educated their personnel about the initiative. Evidence from previous systems modernization efforts suggests that these issues might put the FMLOB at increased risk for cost overruns, schedule delays, and problems with the accuracy of the data after implementation. 

Effective congressional oversight of agency programs and operations is dependent, in part, on the availability of timely and accurate financial data. Congress has invested billions of dollars in systems modernization projects in recent years, but these efforts have not consistently yielded significant improvements in the information they produce. The House Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance, and Accountability has held several hearings on the initiative, although no bills have been introduced. 

This report examines the origins and objectives of the FMLOB, outlines the arguments of the initiative's supporters and critics, and discusses the project's status.


Date of Report: May 20, 2010
Number of Pages: 11
Order Number: RL33765
Price: $29.95

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