Automated Information Systems: Schedule Delays and Cost Overruns Plague DOD Systems
IMTEC-89-36
Published: May 10, 1989. Publicly Released: May 18, 1989.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
In response to a congressional request, GAO provided information on eight Department of Defense (DOD) automated information systems being developed by the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Defense Logistics Agency.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should review and revise, as appropriate, the management control and decisionmaking process for major automated information systems development. |
Closed – Implemented
The Executive Level Group has released its action plan for corporate information management, which is intended to enhance availability and standardization of information throughout DOD. Further, DOD has reviewed management of MAISRC and moved the committee from the DOD Comptroller to the the Assistant Secretary for C3I.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should give special attention to rigorously enforcing established policies. |
Closed – Implemented
MAISRC has been established as a committee of the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). The DAB committee will operate under current MAISRC procedures and will review all automated information systems prior to DAB meetings.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should give special attention to establishing an early warning system to identify problems in automated information system development efforts. |
Closed – Implemented
MAISRC has established a quarterly reporting system to obtain cost and schedule information for all major automated information systems. Relying on information provided by the services, MAISRC believes that the reporting system will identify problems related to cost growth and schedule delays.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should give special attention to examining the role of MAISRC, including its policies for conducting milestone reviews during the development phase, delegating oversight responsibility to DOD components, and relying on in-process reviews. |
Closed – Implemented
The Executive Level Group has released its action plan for corporate information management, which is intended to enhance availability and standardization of information throughout DOD. Further, DOD has reviewed management of MAISRC and moved the committee from the DOD Comptroller to the Assistant Secretary for C3I.
|
| Department of Defense | The Secretary of Defense should give special attention to ensuring that Congress is consistently provided accurate, current, and complete cost information for major automated information systems, including timely notification when internal DOD cost estimates exceed the initial cost estimate by 25 percent or more. |
Closed – Implemented
A recent reorganization of the DOD Information Resources Management (IRM) staff created the Directorate for Resources and Assessment. The Directorate will participate in the preparation, review, and disposition of IRM budget requests. It is also responsible for assessing information technology budget exhibits for completeness and compliance with IRM policy guidance and DOD budget guidance.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
IT acquisitionsCost effectiveness analysisCost overrunsDefense cost controlDefense procurementFuture budget projectionsInformation systemsLife cycle costsReporting requirementsSystems conversions