GSA should reassess the business case behind a large-scale effort to consolidate acquisition data systems into its “integrated acquisition environment” (IAE), GAO has said.
IAE is intended to reduce duplication and IT costs, and create a more streamlined and integrated federal acquisition process. However, according to GAO-12-429, GSA needs to determine if the current acquisition strategy is the most cost effective approach and if so, reevaluate the current system hosting strategy and align contracts payments with the program schedule.
In 2008, GSA began consolidating its portfolio of systems into one integrated system called the system for award management, or SAM.
SAM is to be developed in phases, in which capabilities from selected IAE systems will be incorporated and those legacy systems shut down.
GSA has made progress developing SAM and consolidating three systems as part of phase 1, and it has established a computing center to host SAM and a help desk to support users but since 2009 IAE costs have increased by $85 million, to $181 million.
GAO said the cost growth is a result of GSA omitting hardware and other key components in acquiring a hosting infrastructure for SAM, as well as recent statutory requirements and policy changes. Schedule has also slipped by nearly two years. GSA agreed with the recommendations and said it would take appropriate action.
