More disciplined investment management is needed at DHS, GAO has said after finding that 68 of 71 program managers it interviewed have experienced funding instability, workforce shortfalls, and/or changes to planned capabilities after initiating programs.
According to GAO, the department lacks sufficient data to accurately measure program performance, but through a variety of sources it determined that that the cost of 16 of 42 programs increased from $19.7 billion in 2008 to $52.2 billion in 2011, an aggregate increase of 166 percent.
While DHS acquisition policy reflects many key program management practices that could help mitigate program risks – such as requiring programs to develop documents demonstrating critical knowledge — DHS has not consistently met these requirements, according to GAO-12-833.
It said the department has only verified that four programs documented all of the critical knowledge the policy requires to proceed with acquisition activities.
Officials explained that DHS’s culture has emphasized fast execution over sound acquisition management practices, the report said.
It said that most major programs however lack reliable cost estimates, realistic schedules, and agreed-upon baseline objectives, limiting DHS leadership’s ability to effectively manage those programs and provide information to Congress.
DHS agreed with recommendations to modify its policy to better reflect key program and portfolio management practices, ensure acquisition programs fully comply with DHS acquisition policy, prioritize major acquisition programs department-wide and account for anticipated resource constraints, as well as to document prerequisites for delegating major milestone decision authority.