Bill Overview
Title: Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act
Description: This bill requires each federal agency to develop assessments of their software inventories and software licenses and a plan to reduce costs by consolidating licenses and adopting enterprise license agreements to the greatest extent practicable. The bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office to report on various government-wide issues relating to federal software licenses and inventories.
Sponsors: Rep. Cartwright, Matt [D-PA-8]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals impacted by changes in software management at federal agencies
Estimated Size: 2100000
- The bill impacts federal agencies, which employ a significant number of people who may be involved in software management and licensing.
- The bill aims to improve software management and oversight, which could impact public sector employees who interact with software assets.
- Changes in software management may affect contractors working with federal agencies, as they may also handle software.
- Government efficiency improvements often translate to improved services for the general public, impacting citizens indirectly.
- The consolidation and enterprise license agreements may result in cost savings, potentially impacting taxpayers indirectly.
Reasoning
- The bill is likely to affect federal employees who are involved in software management, which includes a significant number of people across all federal agencies.
- Contractors who work closely with these federal agencies might experience shifts in job duties or project scopes due to new software management practices.
- General public perception might improve regarding government efficiency, potentially impacting general wellbeing scores incrementally over time, though not directly measurable in personal interviews.
- Federal agencies are widespread geographically, implying that the impact, though directly affecting a smaller number, is distributed across multiple states and regions.
- Considering the scale of potential cost savings and the ripple effect through the taxpayer base, indirect but widespread minor effects are plausible.
Simulated Interviews
Federal IT Specialist (Washington D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Streamlining software assets is overdue and necessary.
- This will create more work in the short term but can lead to better efficiencies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Government Contract Worker (Austin, TX)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might reduce contract opportunities in the short term.
- Long-term, it could improve clarity and scope for projects.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Public Policy Analyst (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Government software management improvement is a necessary step.
- Cost savings could redirect resources to other needed areas.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Software Engineer (Raleigh, NC)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- There might be a shift in demand towards larger firms, possibly affecting smaller ones.
- Policy success might create new types of opportunities in the future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 3 |
Federal Agency Budget Analyst (Chicago, IL)
Age: 55 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Rationalized software spending is beneficial for budget projections.
- Initial implementation phases may increase workload temporarily.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Retired (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 62 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 2/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Saw firsthand the inefficiencies in software license management.
- Glad to see measures are being taken to improve this.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Taxpayer Advocate (New York, NY)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Taxpayers indirectly benefit from cost savings in government.
- These changes are unlikely to significantly affect everyday life for most citizens.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Security Analyst (Denver, CO)
Age: 50 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better software management can lead to improved security measures.
- It's another step towards more accountable government databases.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
IT Consultant (Seattle, WA)
Age: 44 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Consolidation and licensing plans are exactly what clients need.
- Federal adoption of these practices could spearhead industry trends.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Graduate Student (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This initiative could make fascinating study material.
- Hopeful it leads to innovations in public admin courses.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $25000000 (Low: $15000000, High: $35000000)
Year 2: $20000000 (Low: $13000000, High: $27000000)
Year 3: $15000000 (Low: $10000000, High: $20000000)
Year 5: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $15000000)
Year 10: $5000000 (Low: $2000000, High: $10000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The success of cost reductions depends on the effectiveness of the new software management plans.
- Inter-agency collaboration may be necessary to achieve optimal consolidation and cost savings.
- Initial setup costs will taper off, whereas savings may increase over time.