National Archives Receives TMF Award to Modernize Mission-Critical IT
Press Release · Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Washington, DC

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) has awarded $9.1 million to the National Archives and Records Administration to upgrade two mission-critical legacy information systems to cloud-based platforms: the Archives and Records Centers Information System (ARCIS) and the Case Management and Reporting System (CMRS). These upgrades will transform operations and make federal records more quickly, reliably, and securely accessible for veterans and their families, federal agency customers, and the American public.

Americans use the records in NARA’s custody to better exercise their rights and more easily access government benefits to which they are due. Modernizing ARCIS and CMRS will directly benefit our citizens by accelerating the delivery of records to citizen requesters and improving the customer experience for the public and our federal agency partners. These upgrades will improve system security and service for the more than 1.5 million annual requests from veterans and their families for records needed to access benefits, plus the nearly eight million annual requests from other federal agencies for records that they need to provide citizen services and fulfill their missions. 

Acting Archivist of the United States Debra Steidel Wall thanked TMF:
At the recommendation of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the National Archives applied for and received funding through the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF). We are grateful to TMF for vitally needed assistance to help with IT upgrades needed to advance toward a broad, digital-services delivery model. This will transform our ability to meet mission requirements and deliver needed records to the American people. Our very mission is to drive openness, cultivate public participation, and strengthen our nation’s democracy through public access to high-value government records. This TMF funding will advance our transition to a digital future, electronic records management, and the principles of Open Government.

The Archives and Records Centers Information System (ARCIS) is used by National Archives Federal Records Centers nationwide to manage physical space, holdings management, and inventory control processes for records we hold on behalf of federal and military agencies. 

The Case Management and Reporting System (CMRS) is used by the National Archives’ National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) to process military records requests from veterans, their families, and other members of the public. 

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is an innovative funding vehicle that gives agencies additional ways to deliver services to the American public more quickly, provide better security for sensitive systems and data, and use taxpayer dollars more efficiently.

The TMF is overseen by the Technology Modernization Board, composed of government IT leaders representing proven expertise in technology, transformation, and operations. To date, the TMF has announced investments totaling over $400 million. These investments have supported projects ranging from providing a single secure login experience for government websites to digitizing the temporary worker visa program and modernizing systems that support crop inspection and certification. For more information, visit tmf.cio.gov.

The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent federal agency that serves American democracy by safeguarding and preserving the records of our government, so people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage. The National Archives ensures continuing access to the essential documentation of the rights of American citizens and the actions of their government. From the Declaration of Independence to accounts of ordinary Americans, the holdings of the National Archives directly touch the lives of millions of people.