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Information Technology: Homeland Security Should Better Balance Need for System Integration Strategy with Spending for New and Enhanced Systems

GAO-04-509 Published: May 21, 2004. Publicly Released: May 21, 2004.
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Highlights

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faces the daunting task of bringing together 22 diverse agencies to lead efforts to protect the homeland. Among the challenges posed by this transformation is integrating these agencies' diverse information technology (IT) systems: mission support, administration, and infrastructure (e.g., networks). GAO was asked to determine (1) whether DHS has defined its IT systems integration strategy and (2) how DHS is ensuring that IT investments made by component agencies (specifically focusing on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Coast Guard) are aligned with the department's strategic direction.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Management Directorate In determining the cost-effectiveness of these IT investments, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the heads of DHS's directorates and agencies to ensure that full consideration be given to the estimated cost of any future system rework that would be needed to later align the system with the department's emerging systems integration strategy.
Closed – Implemented
DHS has taken actions consistent with this recommendation. For example, as discussed below, in canceling the eMerge2 system, DHS considered the cost of reworking the system, including building the management capacity to do so, and decided it was cheaper and less risky to rely on existing system capabilities as the means to addressing the department's IT business needs.
Management Directorate The Secretary of Homeland Security should examine the sufficiency of IT spending authority vested in the CIO and take appropriate steps to correct any limitations in authority that constrain the CIO's ability to effectively integrate IT investments in support of department-wide mission goals.
Closed – Implemented
Consistent with our recommendations, the Secretary examined the sufficiency of IT spending and other authorities vested in the CIO and identified limitations that constrained the CIO's ability to effectively integrate IT investments. As a result of this examination, the Secretary issued a management directive (MD 0007.1, Information Technology Integration and Management) in February 2007 that provided the CIO additional authorities with regard to department and component IT management, including (1) reviewing and approving all department and component IT acquisitions over $2.5 million; (2) reviewing and approving the components' annual IT budget submissions; (3) providing component CIOs with written performance objectives; (4) helping prepare component CIOs' performance appraisals; and (5) collaborating with component heads in recruiting and selecting component CIOs.
Management Directorate Until DHS's strategic IT management framework is completed and available to effectively guide and constrain the billions of dollars that it is spending on IT investments, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the heads of the department's directorates and agencies to limit spending on their respective IT investments to cost-effective efforts that are congressionally directed; take advantage of near-term, relatively small, low-risk opportunities to leverage technology in satisfying a compelling homeland security need; support operations and maintenance of existing systems critical to DHS's mission; involve deploying an already developed and fully tested system; and support establishment of a DHS strategic IT management framework, including IT strategic planning, enterprise architecture, and investment management.
Closed – Implemented
DHS has taken actions consistent with our recommendation. For example, in September 2005, DHS canceled a major border security IT system investment, called American Shield Initiative, due to serious concerns about, among other things, the system's alignment with the department's enterprise architecture. Similarly, in December 2005, DHS canceled a key department-wide financial management system investment called eMerge2 because further investment in the project was viewed as high risk. Instead, the department adopted the low risk approach of satisfying its financial management needs via existing systems.

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Topics

Emergency preparednessEnterprise architectureFederal agency reorganizationHomeland securityInformation technologyStrategic information systems planningStrategic planningSystems compatibilitySystems integrationTransportation securityIT investment management