Land Management Systems: BLM Faces Risks in Completing the Automated Land and Mineral Record System
AIMD-97-42
Published: Mar 19, 1997. Publicly Released: Mar 19, 1997.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) efforts to complete the development of the Automated Land and Mineral Record System/Modernization (ALMRS/Modernization), focusing on: (1) whether risks remain that could seriously affect the performance, capability, or cost of ALMRS; (2) whether BLM is operationally and managerially ready to deploy ALMRS in fiscal year (FY) 1997; (3) the latest cost estimates for ALMRS and reasons for any cost increases; (4) what the Department of the Interior is doing to promote the use of ALMRS by its other bureaus; and (5) whether other Interior bureaus are planning to use ALMRS for their land management needs.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Bureau of Land Management | To reduce the risks and strengthen the management of the ALMRS/Modernization, the Director, BLM, should fully update the ALMRS/Modernization schedule, including analyzing human resources usage and task relationships to establish reliable milestones and a critical path to complete the project. |
Although BLM agreed with this recommendation and improved and updated the schedule, it did not establish a credible project schedule. The ALMRS/Modernization was therefore driven by self-imposed deadlines that were continually missed. This recommendation is being closed because BLM cancelled the ALMRS/Modernization project. This decision followed an October 1998 operational assessment test and evaluation, which showed the ALMRS initial operating capability--the major software component--was not deployable because it did not meet BLM's business needs.
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| Bureau of Land Management | To reduce the risks and strengthen the management of the ALMRS/Modernization, the Director, BLM, should disclose in BLM's certification to the House and Senate appropriations committees, information on: (1) how well the system performs; and (2) any automated capability that has been removed, suspended, or deferred to ensure that ALMRS initial operating capability is not deployed with degraded performance or capability loss. |
BLM implemented this recommendation. During the fiscal year 2000 appropriations hearings before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, the Director of BLM reported that the ALMRS initial operating capability--the major software component--was not deployable and was being cancelled because the system did not meet BLM's business needs. The BLM testing contractor also summarized the results of the operational assessment test and evaluation it conducted and discussed why the ALMRS initial operating capability was not deployable.
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| Bureau of Land Management | To reduce the risks and strengthen the management of the ALMRS/Modernization, the Director, BLM, should establish a robust configuration management plan, and related policies and procedures for establishing a program focused on managing the components of and all changes to all BLM information systems, including non-ALMRS/Modernization systems, to ensure successful management and integrity of the ALMRS/Modernization. |
BLM agreed with this recommendation and finalized a configuration management plan, policies, and procedures for the ALMRS/Modernization. GAO did not review field office implementation of the configuration management program after completion of the ALMRS initial operating capability because the system will not be completed or deployed. Despite this, the configuration management plan, policies, and procedures will be used by BLM in managing the modernization platform, office automation, and other software that were deployed bureauwide. According to the Director of BLM's National Information Resources Management Center, the configuration management plan, policies, and procedures are being used to help ensure the successful management and integrity of the modernization architecture.
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| Bureau of Land Management | To reduce the risks and strengthen the management of the ALMRS/Modernization, the Director, BLM, should establish a system security architecture and plan, including security policies and procedures; disaster and recovery plans; and security test, evaluation, and certification plans to reduce risks to the availability and integrity of stored and processed data. |
BLM agreed and recently completed work in response to this recommendation. It performed a risk analysis, developed a system security plan and architecture, identified management and operational controls, and developed disaster and recovery plan procedures. GAO planned to review field office implementation of the security program after completion of the ALMRS initial operating capability--the major software component, but has not done so because the system will not be completed or deployed. Despite this, the risk analysis, security plan and architecture, management and operational controls, and disaster and recovery plan procedures will be useful as BLM continues to use the modernization platform and software that were deployed bureauwide. According to the Director of BLM's National Information Resources Management Center, these security controls are being used to help ensure the integrity of BLM systems and data.
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| Bureau of Land Management | To reduce the risks and strengthen the management of the ALMRS/Modernization, the Director, BLM, should develop transition plans outlining the changes in organizational roles, responsibilities, and interrelationships among the units and people using the ALMRS/Modernization system to reduce the risk associated with those changes. |
In response to the recommendation, BLM developed transition plans; however, the plans were not adequate. They did not outline needed changes in organizational roles, responsibilities, and interrelationships, or address issues such as how state and subordinate offices would deal with oil and gas, mining, and solid mineral business process changes that would result from implementing the ALMRS initial operating capability. This recommendation is no longer applicable, because BLM decided not to complete or deploy the ALMRS initial operating capability--the major software component of the modernization.
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| Bureau of Land Management | To reduce the risks and strengthen the management of the ALMRS/Modernization, the Director, BLM, should develop operations and maintenance plans addressing the acquisition, management, and maintenance of managerial and technical support for the ALMRS/Modernization system to help ensure successful operations. |
BLM agreed with this recommendation and developed an operations and maintenance manual in response to the recommendation. GAO expected to review field office implementation of the operations and maintenance manual after completion of the ALMRS initial operating capability--the major software component; however, GAO has not done so because the system will not be completed or deployed. Despite this, the improved operations and maintenance manual is still needed and used by field staff to operate and maintain the installed modernization platform and software on a day-to-day basis. According to the Director of BLM's National Information Resources Management Center, the operations and maintenance manual is being used to help ensure continuous support from BLM's systems.
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