Summary

In response to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) overall management of its information technology systems budget.

GAO found that SSA: (1) needs to improve financial management of its information system, since it submitted incomplete and inaccurate budget documents for its planned automatic data processing acquisitions in fiscal year (FY) 1987; (2) did not maintain an integrated system to budget and account for information systems funds; and (3) accumulated an estimated $214 million in unobligated funds and failed to meet some of its goals in FY 1986 because of erroneous and incomplete budget information. GAO also found that SSA appointed a financial officer and created a review board to improve financial management and oversight of information system resources.