Information Technology: Reform Initiatives Can Help Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness

Citation
Government Accountability Office, Information Technology: Reform Initiatives Can Help Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness (GAO-14-671T) (June 10, 2014) (full-text).

Overview
The federal government reportedly plans to spend at least $82 billion on IT in fiscal year 2014. Given the scale of such planned outlays and the criticality of many of these systems to the health, economy, and security of the United States, it is important that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and federal agencies provide appropriate oversight and transparency into these programs and avoid duplicative investments, whenever possible, to ensure the most efficient use of resources.

The GAO has previously reported and testified that federal IT projects too frequently fail and incur cost overruns and schedule slippages while contributing little to mission-related outcomes. Numerous best practices and administration initiatives are available for agencies that can help them improve the oversight and management of IT investments.

This document discusses the results and recommendations from selected reports that focused on how federal IT reform efforts could be improved by more effective IT acquisition and more efficient management of existing IT systems.