Summary

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information about the Army's fiscal year (FY) 1990 budget request for five major automation programs.

GAO found that the Army: (1) requested over $219 million to modernize and redesign 31 automated systems in its Standard Army Management Information Systems Modernization Program, although the Major Automated Information System Review Council (MAISRC) had not reviewed those systems; (2) requested $12.5 million for its Standard Installation/Division Personnel System, and planned to obligate $10.2 million of the request for an already-awarded contract, although MAISRC had not reviewed the system; (3) requested $8.2 million for its Information Processing Equipment Program, although it was unlikely to award any contracts in time to use funds due to program changes and slippage; (4) planned to obligate $71.4 million for the Army Accounting System, although MAISRC only reviewed one of the system's eight subsystems; and (5) awarded a $63 million requirements contract for software analysis, design, and development for Army personnel systems to the bidder with the highest technical score and the second highest price. GAO believes that Congress may wish to restrict Army funding on systems which: (1) MAISRC has not reviewed; or (2) are not likely to incur expenses during FY 1990.