Problems Persist in Justice's ADP Management and Organizations

GAO discussed the Department of Justice's (DOJ) automatic data processing (ADP) management and operation capabilities. GAO noted that: (1) DOJ did not fully respond to several previous GAO recommendations to provide complete and reliable litigative caseload information and to develop and implement an information resources management (IRM) plan; (2) DOJ did not have a system that could accurately provide information on the total number of cases being litigated and the total number of staff working on them; (3) DOJ personnel did not use the department-wide case-management system because of continued inaccuracy due to the lack of a uniform system among litigating divisions and U.S. Attorney offices; (4) in August 1990, DOJ entered into an agreement with the General Services Administration's Federal Systems Integration and Management Center to perform a consolidated requirements analysis; (5) DOJ was exploring the feasibility of using a single case-management system; (6) although DOJ structured its central IRM office in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, the senior IRM official lacked authority to direct component agencies to accomplish agency-wide ADP goals and objectives; and (7) DOJ believed it lacked sufficient staff with adequate technical and managerial capabilities to conduct large-scale ADP acquisitions and required oversight.