Treasury is looking beyond our TFM binder

Date: December 13, 2018

Last year, we conducted an analysis for the Treasury Financial Manual (TFM) Volume I. The TFM contains the Fiscal Service policy and guidance provided to other federal agencies. We heard -  overwhelmingly -  that using the TFM is burdensome, it's a challenge to navigate, and it sometimes contains redundant, outdated guidance. In a nutshell, it's not user friendly. It's time for Treasury to look beyond our binder and start thinking about the experience that agencies have when interacting with us.

This year, we are taking steps to fix that! We are refocusing on the organization and delivery for all Fiscal Service guidance to federal agencies. By being more user-centric, we are starting with the big picture, not the just the TFM.

First, we are developing a model for delivery -  by sharing model options with focus groups and getting user input on our design. Next, taking what we've learned from focus group feedback, we'll start to develop a new federal financial management experience! Last, we'll develop a plan for action and implementation. Our work will yield the following benefits:

• Save federal employees who use the TFM valuable research time
• Integrate Treasury's guidance and information in one source
• Alleviate confusion caused by duplicative and outdated guidance
• Promote consistency in federal reporting

We will share these next steps in this blog space. Look for our updates at upcoming conferences!