Summary
The General Services Administration (GSA) is responsible for ensuring that federal agencies have access to the telecommunications needed to meet mission requirements. GSA's current telecommunications program, called FTS2001, has contracts in place that will expire by June 2010. Thus, agencies face the difficult task of transitioning their services to a successor program, known as Networx. GAO was asked to determine (1) the extent to which agencies are following sound transition planning practices and (2) the actions GSA is taking to identify and resolve common transition challenges affecting agencies. In performing this work, GAO selected six agencies based on, among other things, their FTS2001 charges; reviewed transition planning at these agencies and GSA; and analyzed GSA documentation of actions to address transition challenges.
Selected agencies--the Departments of Homeland Security, Commerce, and Agriculture and the Small Business Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission--are generally following sound transition planning practices previously identified by GAO. For example, all have established telecommunications inventories, and most have established transition plans that include transition preparation tasks and time lines. However, other key practices are not being fully implemented at three agencies. For example, Commerce does not plan to clearly define all key transition roles and responsibilities, Homeland Security does not plan to identify local and regional points of contact, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission does not plan to establish measures of success based on its transition objectives. With limited time available to finalize planning and begin transitions, agencies that do not address gaps in their planning or follow through on plans risk delaying their transitions and increase the likelihood of incurring unnecessary costs. As facilitator for all transition management activities, GSA has identified numerous common challenges that agencies face in making the transition to Networx, and it is taking action to resolve them. GSA uses various forums to identify these challenges, which include ensuring cooperation from incumbent contractors, defining agencies' responsibilities for information security during the transition, and the use of a transition inventory application developed by GSA. To resolve these challenges, GSA has, among other things, modified FTS2001 contracts to help ensure contractor cooperation, developed guidance to clarify information security responsibilities, and established support teams to assist agencies in using the inventory application developed by GSA. GSA's actions should reduce the likelihood that these challenges will hinder transition efforts.
Recommendations
Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change
from "In process" to "Implemented" or "Not implemented" based on our follow up work.
Director:
Team:
Phone:
Linda D. Koontz
Government Accountability Office: Information Technology
(202) 512-6240
Recommendations for Executive Action
Recommendation: The Secretary of Commerce should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to define the roles of asset and human capital management for the department's transition.
Agency Affected: Department of Commerce
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission should direct the commission's Chief Information Officer to establish measures of success based on the transition objectives that the agency plans to develop.
Agency Affected: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission should direct the commission's Chief Information Officer to evaluate the costs and benefits of new technology or alternatives to meeting its telecommunications needs.
Agency Affected: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to address the gaps in its transition planning. Specifically, the Chief Information Officer should document the department's processes for maintaining telecommunications inventories.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to address the gaps in its transition planning. Specifically, the Chief Information Officer should evaluate the costs and benefits of new technology or alternatives to meeting its telecommunications needs.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to address the gaps in its transition planning. Specifically, the Chief Information Officer should clearly define the roles of asset management, legal expertise, human capital management, and information security expertise for the department's transition.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to address the gaps in its transition planning. Specifically, the Chief Information Officer should identify local and regional points of contact.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to address the gaps in its transition planning. Specifically, the Chief Information Officer should include in the department's planning efforts the identification of human capital resources needed to conduct an effective transition.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to address the gaps in its transition planning. Specifically, the Chief Information Officer should establish goals and measures of success for the department's transition efforts to help managers assess progress.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Recommendation: The Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the department's Chief Information Officer to address the gaps in its transition planning. Specifically, the Chief Information Officer should perform a transition risk assessment that addresses risks to mission-critical systems, continuity of operations plans, and risks to information security.
Agency Affected: Department of Homeland Security
Status: In process
Comments: When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
