Major NIH Computer System: Poor Management Resulted in Unmet Scientists' Needs and Wasted Millions

NIH implemented a capacity management program in DCRT by providing a capacity management staff, purchasing capacity modeling software, and training staff with it. A completed capacity assessment of DCRT's IBM computer system was conducted and reported to NIH's IRM Council. The Director, NIH, corrected the weakness reported under the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act.

Based on DCRT's capacity assessment of the IBM computer system, NIH has concluded that three IBM 3090 mainframes can currently handle the production, testing, and backup workloads. NIH placed the three-mainframe configuration in operation in October 1992 and was able to partition one of the three mainframes to support production as well as backup, testing and development.

NIH has fully acknowledged the need for competition in its acquisition strategy for the new procurement to replace the current IBM mainframe system in DCRT's computer center; NIH will not use the total system approach. Instead, NIH plans to focus on maximizing competition and flexibility and obtaining good prices. Requirements analysis begins in April 1993 with contract award in August 1996.

NIH's top IRM management, the IRM Council, has approved, starting with fiscal year 1994 planning activities, an IRM strategic planning process and an accompanying methodology for identifying NIH information requirements. The planning process is under the direction of the Associate Director for IRM (NIH's Senior Official) and will be based upon: (1) formal user input of anticipated information needs; and (2) proposals for solutions to those needs by NIH's information providers. NIH's Office of IRM will coordinate need input from: (1) the organizational groupings of NIH, the institutes, centers, and divisions; and (2) three committees representing types of individual users--one for scientists employed at NIH; one for scientists outside NIH, but working on NIH research projects; and one for NIH's administrative staff. Input from these sources will be organized by the Senior Official and presented to NIH's information providers for solution alternatives.

The NIH Senior Official initiated two broadly-based activities to ensure that future acquisitions adequately support the NIH mission. NIH's Office of IRM will coordinate input from: (1) the organizational groupings of NIH, the institutes, centers, and divisions; and (2) three committees representing types of individual users--scientists employed at NIH, scientists outside NIH, but working on NIH research projects, and NIH's administrative staff. Input from these sources will be organized and presented to NIH's information providers for solution alternatives. The cases where the NIH providers could not supply the needed information would form the basis for contract specifications. NIH will manage the acquisition process by building a staff capability in OIRM to put in place an integrated approach to information technology acquisition. Staff will analyze and assess proposed acquisitions prior to approval to ensure that the acquisition meets user needs and supports the NIH mission.