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AIMD-96-26R 1 (1995-12-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaobackzz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: United States General Accounting Office Washington, D.C. 20548 Accounting and Information Management Division B-262052 December 11, 1995 The Honorable Doris M. Meissner Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service Dear Ms. Meissner: On November 9, 1995, we met with senior members of your information resources management (IRM) team to discuss our observations regarding the Immigration and Naturalization Service's (INS) efforts to develop and implement an information technology (IT) investment strategy. We conducted this work because INS officials indicated that they could spend over $700 million on IT within the next 3 fiscal years to better meet mission goals and objectives and to improve long-standing weaknesses in manual processes and automated systems. Our work was intended to be an initial assessment and not an exhaustive review of the status of INS' efforts to begin managing information systems projects as investments. We believe INS' efforts to adopt the practices endorsed by leading private and public organizations to improve mission performance and reduce costs are a step in the right direction.' INS has begun to improve IRM leadership, emphasize the need for strategic planning, and establish an IT investment strategy. The implementation of the investment strategy, however, is in its early stages. Based on the best practices of leading organizations, there are several critical areas that will need to be addressed. The following represents agreements reached with your staff on additional actions to better ensure that the strategy is effective in improving INS' ability to implement reliable information systems and bring about mission benefits. 'These practices are included in such documents as our report, Executive Guide: Improving Mission Performance Through Strategic Information Management and Technology (GAO/AIMD-94-115, May 1994); the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993; OMB Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information Resources; and the Federal Information Resources Management Regulation (FIRMR 201-20.001). GAO/AIMD-96-26R INS Investment Strategy 15 5'7 )