Homeland Security: First Phase of Visitor and Immigration Status Program Operating, but Improvements Needed

The program office has developed and approved test plans for various system components, such as the US-VISIT/IDENT Product Integration and the Unified IDENT Release 2 Component/Assembly. Our analysis of these plans shows that they (1) specified the test environment, including test equipment, software, material, and necessary training; (2) described each test to be performed, including test controls, inputs, and expected outputs; (3) defined test procedures to be followed in conducting tests; and (4) provided traceability between test cases and the requirements to be verified by the testing. Our analysis also shows that the plans were approved prior to the time the tests were executed and completed.

The program office issued a contract for independent verification and validation (IV&V) services. To ensure the contractor's independence, the program office (1) required that IV&V contract bidders be independent of the development and integration contractors; (2) reviewed each of the bidder's affiliations with the US-VISIT prime contract; (3) included provisions in the contract that prohibit the contractor from soliciting, proposing, or being awarded work (other than IV&V services) for the program; (4) required all contractor personnel to certify that they do not have any conflicts of interest; and (5) ensured that the contractor's management plan describes how the contractor will ensure technical, managerial, and financial independence.

The program office has developed a configuration control board that is responsible for, among other things, managing and overseeing system changes. Further, the program office has developed a configuration management plan and begun implementing it. For example, we verified that a change request for the Unique Identity project was submitted and approved by the board.

The US-VISIT Deputy Program Manager reported to House and Senate Appropriations Committee staff that management reserve funding in the fiscal year 2004 expenditure plan was $33 million.

In February 2005, we reported that the US-VISIT program office disclosed management reserve funding of $33 million for fiscal year 2004 in a briefing to the Subcommittees on Homeland Security, Senate and House Committees on Appropriations. Also, in February 2005, we reported that the US-VISIT program office disclosed management reserve funding of $23 million in its fiscal year 2005 expenditure plan. In February 2007, we reported that the program office disclosed management reserve funding of $13 million in its fiscal year 2006 expenditure plan. In doing so, the program office has demonstrated a pattern of disclosing management reserve funding.

The US-VISIT program office has evaluated Increment 2B operational performance, and according to program officials, the evaluations supported the workforce and facilities planning assumption that no additional staff were required to support deployment of Increment 2B, and that minimal modifications to interior workspace were required to accommodate biometric capture devices and printers and to install electrical circuits. Moreover, the program office has since discontinued it land ports of entry demonstration projects.

US-VISIT audit coordination and resolution is governed by formal audit guidance and coordinated through an Integrated Project Team. The team has developed a plan that includes tasks and milestones for implementing GAO recommendations. The plan also provides for the periodic reporting to the Under Secretary. Further, the status of efforts to address a number of GAO recommendations has been included in recent US-VISIT expenditure plans.