About the NCUA
Created by the U.S. Congress in 1970, the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) is an independent federal agency that insures deposits at federally insured credit unions, protects the members who own credit unions, and charters and regulates federal credit unions.
The NCUA protects the safety and soundness of the credit union system by identifying and managing risks to the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (Share Insurance Fund). Backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the Share Insurance Fund provides up to $250,000 in federal share insurance to more than 143 million members in all federal credit unions and most state-chartered credit unions.1
A robust and secure information resource infrastructure ensures the NCUA operates at maximum effectiveness and efficiency, thereby protecting the system of cooperative credit and its member-owners and enhancing the nation’s economic and financial stability.
IRM Strategic Plan Overview
The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13) requires the development and maintenance of an Information Resource Management (IRM) Strategic Plan,2 which must meet the requirements outlined in the Office of Management and Budget’s Circular No. A-130.
The NCUA’s 2025 IRM Strategic Plan describes the NCUA’s information resource investment strategies related to the agency’s operational, budgetary and strategic planning. The NCUA’s investments in information resources are designed to maximize service delivery, mitigate operational risk, and promote data-driven decisions in support of the NCUA’s safety and soundness mission. These investments are aligned with the NCUA’s strategic goals and performance indicators, as outlined in its 2022–2026 Strategic Plan and 2025 Annual Performance Plan.
Title II of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policy Making Act of 2018 (Evidence Act) (P.L. 115-435), known as the Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act, established additional requirements related to data governance and transparency, including the development and maintenance of an open data plan to be included in an agency’s IRM Strategic Plan.
In compliance with this statutory requirement, the 2025 IRM Strategic Plan also details the NCUA’s current and planned activities to create a publicly available data inventory and make its data available to the public in an open format. The IRM Strategic Plan provides information on the NCUA’s efforts to establish and promote data management priorities, standards, policies, and practices across the enterprise.
The NCUA will monitor its performance in meeting the objectives outlined in this plan on a regular basis. Should there be any changes because of new priorities or regulatory changes, the agency will update its IRM Strategic Plan as necessary.
IRM Implementation Framework
The NCUA organizes its IRM approach into five strategic themes that reflect the agency’s current operational model, and ensures the agency has a future-ready infrastructure in place that can adapt to an evolving technological, budgetary, and regulatory landscape. Each theme is supported by a series of strategic objectives the NCUA will implement over the life of the 2025 IRM Strategic Plan, which is approximately 12 to 18 months.
The strategic themes and objectives driving the agency’s technology objectives and investments are:
- Creating a Culture of Customer Service Excellence
- Strengthen communication channels and service accountability through clearer definitions of service expectations, roles, and responsibilities.
- Enhance NCUA’s IT project intake and portfolio management practices to ensure business needs are well understood, evaluated, and supported in a timely, transparent manner.
- Improve the user or customer experience across the NCUA’s digital platforms by implementing a dedicated user experience program.
- Delivering Innovative and Reliable Technology Solutions
- Modernize aging infrastructure and reduce technical debt through prioritized lifecycle upgrades and a smart cloud adoption approach that maximizes effectiveness and improves services while balancing limited budgets and staff resources.
- Improve performance by optimizing service delivery platforms and implementing automated workflows, including continued investment in digital services and self-service tools to boost productivity and efficiency for both internal and external customers.
- Implement the principles of digital accessibility in all aspects of the procurement, development, maintenance, and use of information and communication technology.
- Strengthening Cybersecurity Resilience Against Evolving Threats
- Advance Zero Trust implementation efforts through identity, device, and access management enforcements aligned with federal cybersecurity directives.
- Strengthen the NCUA’s cyber operations, incident response capabilities, and threat intelligence integration to reduce risk and improve recovery readiness.
- Sustain compliance with federal security and privacy mandates, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act; Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity; and evolving National Institute of Standards & Technology guidelines.
- Developing a Committed and Engaged IT Workforce
- Invest in IT workforce development by expanding role-based training, supporting certifications, and implementing targeted upskilling programs.
- Refine internal processes to empower staff with the tools, time, and information needed to deliver results.
- Fostering Innovation and Organizational Learning
- Foster internal and externally focused innovation by launching and evaluating pilot programs that explore the use of artificial intelligence, automation, cloud, or other emerging technologies.
- Implement a technical governance framework to support and nurture citizen development and incorporate their solutions across the enterprise.
Open Data Plan
The 2018 Evidence Act established a government-wide framework for improving access to and management of federal data to support both public transparency and evidence-building activities. The Evidence Act builds on longstanding principles underlying federal policies and data infrastructure investments supporting information quality, access, protection, and use. The OPEN Government Data Act requires each federal agency to develop and maintain an Open Data Plan that describes ongoing efforts to make government data open, accessible, and reusable by the public.
On January 15, 2025, OMB issued Memorandum M-25-05, Phase 2 Implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: Open Government Data Access and Management Guidance, which outlines specific requirements for agencies to operationalize their Open Data Plans. Pursuant to these requirements, the NCUA’s Open Data Plan will be updated annually to document completed and planned actions that support the agency’s transparency, access, and public engagement goals.
Key actions taken or will be taken by the agency include:
| Action | Timeframe | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Designation of a Chief Data Officer (CDO) | July 13, 2019 | Completed. NCUA has a designated CDO and publishes open data-related contact information on its NCUA.gov/data web page. |
| Integration with broader IRM processes | July 11, 2025 | Completed. Open data objectives are incorporated into NCUA’s broader IRM planning, including staff training, technology acquisition, and procurement standards to support openness and innovation. |
| Enhanced data inventory practices | September 30, 2026 | In-progress. NCUA’s enterprise data inventory process will be updated to reflect OMB M-25-05 expectations for comprehensive coverage, prioritization, machine-readable formats, and continual improvement of datasets shared on the Federal Data Catalog (44 U.S.C. § 3511). |
| Improved data usage metrics | September 30, 2026 | In-progress: NCUA will evaluate tools and metrics for public data usage. Plans will be made to develop relevant analyses that will be compiled and published, with annual updates available on the NCUA website. |
| Public engagement strategy | September 30, 2026 | In-progress: NCUA is developing public outreach methods to facilitate collaboration with public data users while complying with requirements for public information collection. |
| Modernized data collection practices | Continuous improvement process | On-going: NCUA is evaluating opportunities to minimize reliance on non-digital data collection and will incorporate open formats into the collection and dissemination of publicly shared data assets. |
Data Governance
The NCUA utilizes its Enterprise Data Program (EDP) to establish and promote data management priorities, standards, policies, and practices across the agency. The EDP, comprised of subject matter experts from throughout the NCUA, works in partnership to coordinate the implementation of enterprise-wide data life cycle management processes, facilitate consistent metadata and quality standards, and promote responsible stewardship of data assets.
The EDP supports the agency’s compliance with the Evidence Act, OPEN Government Data Act, and OMB Memorandum M-25-05. These authorities inform how the NCUA governs, secures, and uses data—enabling evidence-based policymaking, operational planning, and internal accountability.
In addition to supporting internal mission operations, the EDP underpins the NCUA’s Open Data Plan by ensuring the public data assets are properly inventoried, prioritized, and shared in accordance with federal transparency and accountability standards.
The NCUA remains committed to complying with all requirements in OMB M-25-05 and the provisions of 44 U.S.C. § 3511. Public data assets published by the agency will be properly inventoried, tagged, and made available in open, machine-readable formats consistent with applicable federal metadata and licensing standards.
1 Credit Union System Performance Data for the First Quarter 2025 (March 31, 2025), available at Quarterly Credit Union Data Summary 2025 Q1
2 44 U.S.C. § 3506(b)(2).