GAO-04-323 Information Technology: OMB and Department of Homeland Security Investment Reviews

The fed. gov¿t. will spend $71 billion for info. technol. (IT) projects for FY 2009. These projects must be planned and managed effectively. This includes ensuring that they receive selection and oversight reviews. Selection involves identifying and analyzing projects' risks and returns and selecting those that will best support the agency's needs; oversight includes reviewing the progress of projects against expectations and taking corrective action when these expectations are not being met. This report determines whether: (1) fed. agencies have guidance on the role of their department-level investment review boards in selecting and overseeing IT projects; and (2) these boards are performing reviews of poorly planned and poorly performing projects. Illus.