Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Health and Human Services

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, HHS' inventory provides complete information on virtualization, types of servers, and storage capacity, but provides incomplete information on physical servers, power capacity, electricity usage, network storage, and facility staffing information. Further, HHS' consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's quantitative goals, qualitative impacts, consolidation approach, and consolidation scope, but provides only partial information on a cost-benefit analysis and unexpected consolidation costs. An HHS official stated that it was difficult to gather every inventory element for all of its data centers. GAO will re-evaluate HHS' updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: United States Agency for International Development

Status: Open

Comments: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, USAID's inventory provides complete information on virtualization and network storage, but only partial information on rack counts, power capacity and usage, facility phase of closure, and facility size. Further, USAID's plan provides complete information on consolidation approach, consolidation scope, consolidation timeline, performance metrics, and risk management, but only partial information on utilization goals, a cost-benefit analysis, and consolidation progress, and does not provide a master program schedule. An agency official stated that USAID planned to provide the missing information in the next inventory update and stated that missing plan elements, such as a master program schedule and full cost-benefit analysis, would be included in the next plan update. GAO will re-evaluate USAID's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

Status: Open

Comments: The Social Security Administration (SSA) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in October 2011. However, while the inventory is now complete, the plan is still missing key information. Specifically, while the plan contains complete information on consolidation approach, consolidation scope, consolidation timeline, performance metrics, and risk management, it only contains partial information utilization goals, consolidation progress, and cost savings, and does not contain information on a master program schedule or cost-benefit analysis. An agency official stated that the agency would include more complete utilization goals in SSA's next plan update. Another official noted that SSA was working on a more detailed schedule and was beginning to work with the Office of Management and Budget's total cost of ownership model to develop cost and savings estimates. GAO will re-evaluate SSA's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: General Services Administration

Status: Open

Comments: The General Services Administration (GSA) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, GSA's inventory provides information for all five key elements, but is missing data from each element. Further, GSA's consolidation plan contains complete information on goals, consolidation approach, consolidation scope, performance metrics, and risk management, but only partial information on utilization goals and consolidation savings and unexpected costs. An agency official stated that much of the missing inventory information would be complete for the June 2012 update and that some energy costs and savings would be difficult to measure because of metering equipment limitations in the actual data centers. GAO will re-evaluate GSA's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Commerce

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Commerce submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, while the plan is complete, the inventory is missing key information. Specifically, Commerce's inventory provides complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but provides incomplete information on electrical metering, power capacity, and electrical usage. The inventory also provides partial information on facility costs and staffing information. A Commerce official acknowledged the missing inventory information and noted lack of metering ability and the inability of data center service providers to supply the required information as reasons for not reporting on the information. GAO will re-evaluate Commerce's updated data center inventory due in June 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of Homeland Security (DH) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges and lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses the challenges in obtaining planned congressional funding and the immense amount of stakeholder coordination involved in consolidation. Further, the plan discusses how DH has built the collection of lessons learned into the fifth and final closeout stage of the department's documented consolidation approach.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Environmental Protection Agency

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, and the plan discusses both consolidation challenges and lessons learned. Specifically, the plan discusses consolidation delays due to technology and resource constraints and how EPA consulted a range of IT consolidation practitioners and experts from government and industry to identify proven practices and lessons learned.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Veterans Affairs

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, and the plan discusses both consolidation challenges and lessons learned. Specifically, the plan discusses changes in consolidation strategy mandated at the executive level and delays in the procurements required for consolidations. The plan also discusses the department's review of commercial and public best practices in developing VA's 2011 consolidation plan.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Education

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Education submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and while the plan notes that consolidation challenges and lessons learned will continue to be considered, it does not provide specific examples of either. GAO will re-evaluate Education's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Small Business Administration

Status: Open

Comments: The Small Business Administration (SBA) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011; however, while the plan discusses lessons learned, it does not discuss challenges. Specifically, the plan states that lessons learned from target data centers will be examined and that SBA plans to handle simpler, lower risk items first, proving success and competency and documenting and applying lessons learned along the way. An agency official stated that SBA was still working to identify the agency's consolidation challenges. GAO will re-evaluate SBA's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management

Status: Open

Comments: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, OPM's inventory contains complete information on IT hardware and utilization, but only partial information on IT software assets, IT facilities, energy, and storage, and geographic location. Further, OPM's consolidation plan provides complete information on goals, consolidation approach, consolidation scope, consolidation timeline, and performance metrics, but only partial information on a cost-benefit analysis and does not provide information on a master program schedule, risk management, or a communications plan. An agency official stated that OPM was continuing to collect inventory information. GAO will re-evaluate OPM's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of the Interior

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of the Interior submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Interior's inventory provides complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but only partial information on power capacity, electricity usage, and facilities' costs and staffing information. Further, Interior's consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's qualitative impacts, consolidation approach, and consolidation scope, and master program schedule, but provides only partial information on quantitative goals, a cost-benefit analysis, and risk management. An Interior official stated that the department expects to report more complete inventory information for the next inventory update and will report on cost savings when the expected savings can be more accurately estimated. GAO will re-evaluate Interior's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of the Treasury

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of the Treasury submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Treasury's inventory provides complete information on physical servers and virtualization, but only partial information on power capacity and usage, network storage, and facility staffing information. Further, the department's consolidation plan provides complete information on consolidation approach, consolidation scope, consolidation timeline, and performance metrics, but it does not provide a master program schedule or cost-benefit analysis. An agency official stated that some of the inventory information would be hard to obtain from service providers and that department plans to address the missing elements from its plan. GAO will re-evaluate Treasury's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: To better ensure that the federal data center consolidation initiative improves governmental efficiency and achieves cost savings, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget should direct the Federal Chief Information Officer to require that agencies, when updating their data center inventories in the third quarter of each fiscal year, state what actions have been taken to verify the inventories and to identify any limitations of this information.

Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: In July 2011, OMB issued guidance to the 24 Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative agencies requiring them to submit complete consolidation plans by the end of September 2011, and to also provide a signed verification letter from their CIO which attests to the completeness of agency and subordinate organization consolidation plans, actions agencies took to verify their asset inventories, and any limitations of inventory and consolidation plan information. In March 2012, OMB further expanded on this guidance by requiring that all agencies, by the end of the fourth quarter of every fiscal year, submit an updated consolidation plan along with a signed verification letter similar to what was required in 2011.

Recommendation: To better ensure that the federal data center consolidation initiative improves governmental efficiency and achieves cost savings, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget should direct the Federal Chief Information Officer to require that agencies complete the missing elements in their respective plans and submit complete data center consolidation plans, or provide a schedule for when they will do so, by September 30, 2011.

Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: In July 2011, OMB issued guidance to the 24 Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative agencies requiring them to submit complete consolidation plans by the end of September 2011. In March 2012, OMB further expanded on this guidance by requiring that all agencies, by the end of the fourth quarter of every fiscal year, complete all elements missing from their consolidation plans and to submit an updated consolidation plan.

Recommendation: To better ensure that the federal data center consolidation initiative improves governmental efficiency and achieves cost savings, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget should direct the Federal Chief Information Officer to require agencies to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their plans.

Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: In July 2011, OMB issued guidance to the 24 Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative agencies requiring them to submit complete consolidation plans by the end of September 2011, which were to reflect consolidation challenges experienced to date and to integrate lessons learned.

Recommendation: To better ensure that the federal data center consolidation initiative improves governmental efficiency and achieves cost savings, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget should direct the Federal Chief Information Officer to utilize the existing accountability infrastructure by requiring the Data Center Consolidation Task Force to assess agency consolidation plans to ensure they are complete and to monitor the agencies' implementation of their plans.

Agency Affected: Executive Office of the President: Office of Management and Budget

Status: Open

Comments: In accordance with current OMB guidance, at the end of the fourth quarter of every fiscal year, agencies are required to complete all missing elements in their consolidation plans and submit them to the GSA Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative program management office. These updated plans are then to be provided to the CIO Council's Data Center Consolidation Task Force and subject to a peer review program in which agencies are partnered with agencies of similar size and complexity. Each partner is to review the others' plan and provide feedback on compliance, completeness, and clarity. However, as of September 2011, only 1 of the 24 agency consolidation plans was complete. GAO will continue to monitor the results of this peer review program as agencies make progress on completing the required information in their plans.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Education

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Education submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Education's inventory provides complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but provides incomplete information on power capacity and usage and does not provide staffing information for any of its facilities. Further, Education's consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's quantitative goals, qualitative impacts, consolidation approach, and consolidation scope, but provides only partial information on the department's performance metrics and does not discuss consolidation challenges or successes. An Education official acknowledged that much of the missing inventory information was unknown because of the leasing structure for those facilities. GAO will re-evaluate Education's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Agriculture

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Agriculture submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Agriculture's inventory provides complete information on the department's IT hardware and utilization and IT software systems, but only partial information on software platforms, servers, and consolidation approach. Further, Agriculture's consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's consolidation approach and scope, performance metrics, a master program schedule, and risk management, but does not discuss consolidation challenges or unexpected consolidation costs. An Agriculture official noted that the department was reliant on components to report data and that some site-specific information was unattainable. The same official thought that the department's plan included consolidation challenges, but could not identify them. GAO will re-evaluate Agriculture's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: National Science Foundation

Status: Open

Comments: The National Science Foundation (NSF) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, while the inventory is now complete, the plan is still missing key information. Specifically, while the plan contains complete information on goals, consolidation approach, consolidation scope, performance metrics, and risk management, it only provides partial information on consolidation successes and challenges, and does not provide information on a master program schedule or cost savings. An agency official stated that future NSF plans could be expected to discuss successes and challenges in greater detail. A second official stated that NSF expects to have savings information to report in future versions of the consolidation plan. GAO will re-evaluate NSF's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Energy

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Energy submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Energy's inventory provides complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but provides incomplete information on power capacity, electricity usage, facilities' costs, and staffing information. Further, Energy's consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's qualitative impacts, consolidation approach, and consolidation scope, and performance metrics, but provides only partial information on the department's quantitative goals and cost savings, and does not provide information on a master program schedule or cost-benefit analysis. An Energy official stated that the agency's next inventory would include more complete information and that the agency planned to work with OMB's cost model to formulate better cost and savings information. GAO will re-evaluate Energy's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, DHS's inventory provides only partial information on the department's physical servers, virtualization, IT facilities and energy, network storage, and data center information. Further, DHS's consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's qualitative impacts, consolidation approach, and consolidation scope, master program schedule, and cost-benefit analysis, but provides only partial information on quantitative goals and cost savings, and does not provide any information on performance metrics. DHS officials stated that the completeness of inventory information has improved since 2011 and that the department has now developed performance metrics. GAO will re-evaluate DHS's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Justice

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Justice submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Justice's inventory provides information for all key elements, such as physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but not for every facility. Further, Justice's consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's consolidation scope and approach and provides a high-level consolidation time, but does not provide information on the department's savings and utilization goals and does not provide aggregate cost-benefit information on a year-by-year basis through 2015. A Justice official stated that the department had most missing inventory information and would include it in the department's June 2012 inventory update. GAO will re-evaluate Justice's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Office of Personnel Management

Status: Open

Comments: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011; however, while the plan discusses challenges, it does not discuss lessons learned. Specifically, the plan addresses challenges such as balancing additional business requirements for technology with an overall strategy of reducing IT operational costs, meeting other strategic goals while reducing the agency's IT footprint, and funding for Green IT assessments. OPM plans to include this information in future plans. GAO will re-evaluate OPM's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Status: Open

Comments: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, but the plan does not discuss consolidation challenges or lessons learned. An agency official acknowledged that this information was missing from the plan. GAO will re-evaluate NASA's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of the Treasury

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of the Treasury submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, but the plan does not discuss consolidation challenges or lessons learned. An agency official acknowledged that this information was missing from the plan, but that the department was addressing it as part of Treasury's enterprise road map development effort. GAO will re-evaluate Treasury's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Labor

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Labor's submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Labor's inventory provides complete information on virtualization and network storage, but provides only partial information on physical servers, IT facilities and energy, and data center information. Further, the department's plan provides complete information on qualitative impacts, consolidation approach, and risk management, but only provides partial information on consolidation scope and a high-level timeline, and does not provide information on performance metrics, a master program schedule, or cost savings. A Labor official noted that the department had focused its efforts on the 50 percent of the department's inventory that was being considered for consolidation. GAO will re-evaluate Labor's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Small Business Administration

Status: Open

Comments: The Small Business Administration (SBA) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, SBA's inventory contains complete information on IT software assets and geographic location, but only partial information server utilization, operating system counts, and power usage and capacity. Further, SBA's consolidation plan provides complete information on consolidation approach, consolidation scope, consolidation timeline, and a communications plan, but provides only partial information on SBA's savings and utilization goals and does not provide information on performance metrics, a cost-benefit analysis, or a master program schedule. An agency official stated that SBA was working to complete missing elements of the agency's inventory and plan. GAO will re-evaluate SBA's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Environmental Protection Agency

Status: Open

Comments: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, EPA's inventory has complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but only partial information on data center power capacity and facility staffing. Further, EPA's consolidation plan contains complete information on goals, consolidation approach, consolidation scope, performance metrics, and risk management, but only provides partial information on a cost-benefit analysis and does not provide information on a master program schedule. An agency official stated that EPA would provide more accurate data as part of its inventory update in June 2012 and that EPA was currently working with the Office of Management and Budget's total cost of ownership model in regards to identifying cost savings. GAO will re-evaluate EPA's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Status: Open

Comments: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, NASA's inventory has complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but only partial information on power capacity and usage and facility staffing. Further, NASA's consolidation plan contains complete information on goals, consolidation approach, consolidation scope, performance metrics, and risk management, but only partial information on consolidation progress and savings and does not provide a cost-benefit analysis. An agency official stated that NASA should eventually be able to at least estimate, if not measure, the power usage efficiency in most of the agency's data centers. The official further stated that NASA plans to use the Office of Management and Budget's total cost of ownership model to estimate consolidation costs and savings. GAO will re-evaluate NASA's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Transportation

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Transportation submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, Transportation's inventory provides complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but only partial information on data center power capacity, electricity usage, and facility staffing information. Further, the department's plan provides complete information on quantitative goals, consolidation approach, consolidation scope, performance metrics, and risk management, but does not provide a master program schedule or cost-benefit analysis. An agency official told us that the department was conducting a new cost-benefit analysis. GAO will re-evaluate Transportation's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Veterans Affairs

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, VA's inventory has complete information on physical servers, virtualization, and network storage, but only partial information on electricity usage and facility staffing. Further, the department's consolidation plan contains complete information on goals, consolidation approach, consolidation scope, performance metrics, and a master program schedule, but only provides partial information on a cost-benefit analysis and does not provide information on consolidation cost savings. An agency official stated that the department would more explicitly identify consolidation cost savings and avoidances in the department's next plan. GAO will re-evaluate VA's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Defense

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Defense submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in November 2011. For example, Defense's inventory provides only partial information on the department's physical servers, virtualization, IT facilities and energy, network storage, and data center information. Further, Defense's consolidation plan provides complete information on the department's qualitative impacts, consolidation approach, and performance metrics, but does not provide information on the department's consolidation scope, high-level consolidation timeline, master program schedule, or cost-benefit analysis. A Defense official stated that the department's next inventory would include more complete information and that it was a challenge to collect all required information because of the scope of the agency's consolidation effort. However, both documents are missing key information. GAO will re-evaluate Defense's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Justice

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of Justice submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges and lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses funding challenges, the need to implement change to efficiently address consolidation, and the challenges of consolidating in a federated organization. Further, the plan addresses the department's interaction with other government and commercial organizations to build knowledge and leverage consolidation lessons learned.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Agriculture

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Agriculture submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, while the plan discusses consolidation lessons learned, such as forming a dedicated team to migrate and close data centers, it does not discuss consolidation challenges. While an Agriculture official thought that the department's plan included consolidation challenges, they could not be identified. GAO will re-evaluate Agriculture?s updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: National Science Foundation

Status: Open

Comments: The National Science Foundation (NSF) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, and while the plan discusses lessons learned, it does not discuss consolidation challenges. Specifically, the plan discusses how NSF will research and integrate acquisition lessons learned from data center consolidations and other similar implementations from the government and the private sector into its approaches. An agency official stated that future plans will more explicitly discuss consolidation challenges. GAO will re-evaluate NSF's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Status: Open

Comments: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, NRC's inventory has complete information on physical servers, virtualization, IT facilities and energy, and network storage, but only partial information on facility staffing. Further, NRC's consolidation plan provides complete information on consolidation approach, consolidation scope, consolidation timeline, and risk management, but only partial information on utilization goals and a cost-benefit analysis and does not provide information on performance metrics or a master program schedule. An agency official stated the intent to gather the missing inventory staffing information and to complete missing information from the plan. GAO will re-evaluate NRC's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should direct their component agencies and their data center consolidation program managers to complete the missing elements in their respective data center consolidation inventories and plans.

Agency Affected: Department of State

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of State submitted an updated data center inventory in June 2011 and an updated consolidation plan in September 2011. However, both documents are missing key information. For example, State's inventory provides complete information on virtualization, but only partial information on physical servers, IT facilities and energy, network storage, and data center information. Further, the department's consolidation plan provides complete information consolidation approach, scope, timeline, and performance metrics, but only partial information on quantitative goals and cost savings. A department official stated that more inventory information will be gathered in the future and that the department would update its data center utilization information in the future. GAO will re-evaluate State's updated data center inventory due in June 2012 and updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, and the plan discusses both consolidation challenges and lessons learned. Specifically, the plan discusses challenges related to budgeting, resources, and managing the level of coordination required given the number of internal and external entities involved in facilities, data center, and IT planning. The plan also states that NRC uses lessons learned and best practices from states and other Federal agencies, as well as private industry.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Defense

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of Defense submitted an updated consolidation plan in November 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges and lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses challenges such as continuing budget resolutions delaying the implementation of consolidation plans and funding, as well the required investment in labor, new and more efficient hardware, upgrades to computer facilities, and increased operating costs, associated with consolidation. The plan also discusses lessons learned, such as the value of adopting a strategy to transfer applications and infrastructure to a shared services provider. The plan also discusses the importance of establishing moratorium on the construction of new data centers and hardware acquisition, which when combined with streamlined acquisition practices, have helped rein in the growth of data centers.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Labor

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Labor submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011; however, while the plan discusses consolidation challenges, it does not discuss lessons learned. For example, the plan addresses challenges encountered during the project related to identifying and quantifying the actual costs associated with the data center facilities and operational support. A Labor official stated that the department did not yet have information related to lessons learned. GAO will re-evaluate Labor's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Transportation

Status: Open

Comments: The Department of Transportation submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011; however, while the plan discusses consolidation challenges, it does not provide details on lessons learned. Specifically, the plan talks about such challenges as the lengthy process to identify possible consolidations, present them to management and then to users, and then work the technical side of migrations, and the difficulty of application mapping. However, while the plan states that Transportation's role as a shared service provider has provided many lessons regarding the challenges of consolidating and sharing IT services, no details are provided. GAO will re-evaluate Transportation's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of the Interior

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of the Interior submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges and lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses procedural and cultural challenges relating to consolidation, as well as challenges related to validating and implementing organizational change. Further, the plan discusses lessons learned about the complexities and constraints related to cross-component hosting and migration, data center cost drivers and limitations of legacy accounting systems and processes, and aligning infrastructure refresh with consolidation needs at the component organization level.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of State

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of State submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges and lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses a primary consolidation challenge of balancing resources between equipment operation and consolidation and the relationship of this issue to securing and prioritizing funding. The plan also discusses lessons learned related to customer outreach and focusing on data center-by-data center closure.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Health and Human Services

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges and lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses the difficulty with projecting electricity cost savings because of the very small percentage of HHS data centers that are currently metered to measure electricity usage and that this number was insufficient for projecting corresponding cost savings with any degree of confidence. Further, the plan notes that the department has evaluated lessons learned from the implementation of previous consolidations and incorporated that evaluation into a model to calculate the projected cost benefits to be achieved from consolidating HHS data centers.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: United States Agency for International Development

Status: Open

Comments: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, but the plan does not discuss consolidation challenges or lessons learned. An agency official agreed with this assessment and stated that USAID's plan was still in a conceptual design phase when submitted in 2011. GAO will re-evaluate USAID's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Social Security Administration

Status: Open

Comments: The Social Security Administration (SSA) submitted an updated consolidation plan in October 2011, but the plan does not discuss consolidation challenges or lessons learned. GAO will re-evaluate SSA's updated consolidation plan due in September 2012.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: General Services Administration

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The General Services Administration (GSA) submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011, and the plan discusses both consolidation challenges and lessons learned. Specifically, the plan discusses such construction challenges as vendors not meeting schedules, non-responsive vendors, and IT equipment delivery delays. The plan also describes how lessons learned from data center organization allowed GSA to realize greater space and energy efficiencies.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Commerce

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of Commerce submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges, as well as lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses challenges such as providing complete inventory information and deploying shared services, and also discusses the accompanying lessons learned of the need for full power metering and the importance of reviewing inventory data, as well as fully defining and understanding shared services requirements.

Recommendation: The secretaries and agency heads of the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs; the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development should require their data center consolidation program managers to consider consolidation challenges and lessons learned when updating their consolidation plans.

Agency Affected: Department of Energy

Status: Closed - Implemented

Comments: The Department of Energy submitted an updated consolidation plan in September 2011 and this plan discusses consolidation challenges and lessons learned. For example, the plan discusses the need for significant upfront investment to implement consolidation, which can be difficult as budgets continue to be reduced. Further, the plan discusses consolidation lessons learned, such as the need to assign a certified Data Center Energy Practitioner to each facility who is responsible for the accuracy of data calls and tracking and reporting on consolidation activities. The plan also discusses the establishment of a data center dashboard system to address conflicting interpretation of data call criteria. This dashboard allows the department to report consistent metrics, project status and other data without maintaining multiple data sources.