TechStat

Overview
A TechStat is a face-to-face, evidence-based review of an IT investment. A TechStat is triggered when an agency determines that a project is underperforming, using data from the IT Dashboard and other sources. In the session, the agency CIO and other members of an agency’s leadership team meet for one focused hour. They review a briefing that highlights the management of the investment, examines program performance data, and explores opportunities for corrective action. TechStat sessions conclude with clear next steps formalized in a memo and tracked to completion.

In many cases, the immediate result of a TechStat session is a concrete action plan, developed collaboratively to address issues and turn around the troubled or failing program. However, in some cases, a TechStat session may reveal that the best course of action for an investment is to temporarily halt or even terminate the program. Finding these failed programs sooner saves taxpayers money and promotes accountability to high standards and program management success.