ADP Acquisitions: Immigration and Naturalization Service Should Terminate Its Contract and Recompete
IMTEC-86-5
Published: Mar 20, 1986. Publicly Released: Mar 31, 1986.
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Highlights
GAO reviewed the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) management of automatic data processing (ADP) to evaluate its ongoing, multimillion-dollar computer systems acquisition.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| To ensure that INS makes no further unwise expenditures for automation, Congress should make the INS FY 1987 appropriation for computer acquisitions contingent on implementation of recommendations to the Attorney General. |
Closed – Implemented
|
In its FY 1986 and 1987 budget deliberations, Congress directed INS not to use any funds for additional ADP procurements, pending INS review of its ADP modernization program, as recommended. |
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Justice | To ensure that valid INS computer needs are met expeditiously, but at the lowest reasonable cost to the government, the Attorney General should direct the Commissioner, INS, to reassess, justify, and document current and projected INS ADP requirements and translate those requirements into a long-range, documented strategy. The reassessment should result in a clarification of INS equipment needs. |
Closed – Implemented
INS contracted with FEDSIM for a complete requirements study, which was completed in June 1987 and accepted by the INS Executive Committee in August 1987. Although FEDSIM proposed an archetectual approach for INS, the appropriateness of the approach still needs verification. Both INS and FEDSIM recognized that much of the data used in the analysis have low reliability.
|
| Department of Justice | To ensure that valid INS computer needs are met expeditiously, but at the lowest cost to the government, the Attorney General should direct the Commissioner, INS, to competitively procure the automation needs outlined by this strategy and terminate its contract with the current contractor, including that equipment currently under lease. |
Closed – Not Implemented
INS is committed to a recompetition. Actual recompetition will be subject to completion and evaluation of prototypes. This recommendation may be closed because a subsequent GAO report recommendation will result in followup in this area.
|
| Department of Justice | To ensure that valid INS computer needs are met expeditiously, but at the lowest reasonable cost to the government, the Attorney General should direct the Commissioner, INS, to report ADP procurement as a material control weakness under the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA). |
Closed – Implemented
INS chose not to report ADP procurement as a material control weakness because it believed that the problems disclosed by GAO were an isolated incident caused by INS personnel not following established procedures.
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Topics
Electronic data processingComputer equipment contractsComputer equipment managementCost analysisComputer contractsCost controlInternal controlsIrregular procurementProcurement policyProcurement