The Immigration and Customs Enforcement bureau is beginning to address program weaknesses in its IT infrastructure modernization program but key improvements are needed, the Government Accountability Office has said.
It said the agency was provided with $39.6 million in fiscal 2005 to modernize its IT infrastructure through the “Atlas” program and that the Department of Homeland Security has so far met legislative requirements either in part or in whole.
It also said DHS has taken a number of steps to address earlier GAO recommendations, for example, by issuing a revised cost-benefit analysis in December 2005, but noted that even there it failed to address all key ICE mission requirements such as information sharing with external partners.
Further, ICE issued a security plan in April 2006 but it was missing important security management practices or only partially addressed them, according to GAO-06-823.
It said current Atlas project plans do not include essential elements, such as a work breakdown structure of tasks to be performed, project costs to be identified, constraints and risk, and review and approval by management and key stakeholders.
ICE needs to minimize risks associated with the Atlas program’s capacity to deliver promised infrastructure capabilities and benefits on time and within budget — and given the hundreds of millions of dollars to be invested, DHS must follow through on commitments to build the capacity to effectively manage the program, the report said.
