Most existing resource allocation models do not allow for the movement of money or people across agency or government lines; at least without great pain inflicted to all involved. Even when organizations recognize the value of interoperability and are willing to commit resources to an enterprise priority, they are typically limited by law or regulation in their ability to allocate dollars across organizational boundaries. Small, short-term problem solving projects can often find innovative ways to share resources across boundaries and make it work. Complex and long term projects designed to create new capability in government are stymied by the inevitable limitations of traditional resource allocation models organized to fund agencies to work on agency-specific projects. Even in situations where interoperability initiatives are sanctioned by government leaders, participation and commitment are severely limited by these traditional funding and spending models. New legislation is needed to lay the foundation for resource allocation models that recognize and support this new way of working.

Existing funding models constrain interoperability strategies
Resource allocation was a consistent source of interagency conflict in one government’s justice information sharing project. Given existing funding models, some agency directors wanted to know how an integrated justice solution would affect their agency before the group could even begin discussing possible courses of action. Concerns that their agency would end up having to carry the burden of additional system administration and training costs without additional funding while other agencies simply benefited from the resulting information integration handicapped collaboration. Existing funding models provided no way for funds to be jointly appropriate and used.

New enterprise resource allocation models are necessary also to accommodate the use of scalable systems strategies and to acknowledge the need for sustainable systems. Developing scalable systems allows organizations to start small and to learn through more modest implementations and to “scale-up” as considered feasible and advisable to do so; a start small, and scale up strategy. Many resource allocation models require an all or none approach.

Increasing emphasis on sustainability also requires the unique attention of government leaders. Investing in systems to solve today’s problems but are not sustainable over time is a common scenario for government agencies. Leaders alone have the ability to create new resource allocation models as well as require scalable and sustainable strategies. Government leaders are necessary actors in changing how money can be requested and spent.