Information Technology Modernization: Enhanced Controls Could Help GAO Ensure Decisions Are Documented and Stakeholders Are Fully Informed
Fast Facts
GAO has identified IT modernization as a management challenge.
In 2021, GAO paid $1 million to develop a 5-year IT modernization plan with a projected cost for initiatives of about $29 million. Less than 18 months later, GAO decided to evolve to an ongoing modernization strategy. This decision was undocumented, so current leaders were unaware of the rationale for the change. GAO did not track the cost of the initiatives in a manner that allowed for easy reporting of the total expenditure.
GAO agreed to the OIG's recommendations to ensure better documentation of significant decisions and better cost tracking for future IT efforts.
A laptop with an image of a cloud and icons representing cloud computing.
Highlights
What the OIG Found
In 2021, GAO established a 5-year IT modernization plan with initiatives that were projected to cost about $29 million. As GAO’s IT modernization efforts evolved, the agency transitioned from a comprehensive 5‑year IT modernization plan to an ongoing modernization strategy. The decision to evolve away from the approximately $1 million plan occurred less than 18 months after it was finalized. However, due to a lack of documentation, current officials were not fully aware of the decision-making process that led to the transition. Documenting strategic changes as they occur is critical for ensuring decisions are justified, preserving institutional knowledge, and keeping stakeholders informed.
GAO incorporated most of the initiatives from the plan into the modernization strategy. As of May 2026, the agency reported that 39 of the 61 initiatives had been completed. While GAO tracked its IT modernization costs, some smaller initiatives were tracked under larger projects in the cost-tracking system. As a result, it would be difficult to determine the actual costs for all IT modernization initiatives. Fully tracking the costs of future IT projects would help ensure more effective reporting to stakeholders.
By designing controls to document significant changes and identify all costs for efforts, GAO could help ensure that decisions are justified and costs are easily reportable.
Why the OIG Did This Audit
GAO is working to modernize its IT systems. In its public Fiscal Year 2024 Performance Plan, the agency identified IT modernization as a management challenge due to the effort required.
In fiscal year 2021, GAO paid $1 million to establish an IT modernization plan with initiatives to prepare the agency’s workforce for cloud capabilities, develop governance processes, and migrate applications to the cloud. The plan roadmap estimated a 5-year time frame at a cost of about $29 million.
The OIG conducted this audit to assess GAO’s progress implementing its IT modernization plan.
Recommendations
GAO concurred with the OIG’s recommendations to enhance controls to ensure that major decisions are appropriately documented and design controls to ensure that costs for major future projects are fully tracked and can be reported to key stakeholders.
For more information, contact at oig@gao.gov.