Information Technology Architecture Needed To Guide Modernization Of Dod S Financial Operations

GAO-01-525 Information Technology: Architecture Needed to Guide Modernization of DOD's Financial Operations

To correct its long-standing and pervasive financial management weaknesses, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to invest billions of dollars to modernize its financial management operations and supporting systems. Effectively managing such a large and complex endeavor requires, among other things, a well-defined and enforced blueprint for operational and technological change, commonly referred to as an enterprise architecture. Such an architecture provides a clear and comprehensive picture of an entity, whether it is an organization (e.g., federal department, agency, or bureau) or a functional or mission area that cuts across more than one organization (e.g., financial management or combat identification 1). This picture consists of three integrated components: a snapshot of the enterprise s current operational and technological environment, a snapshot of its target environment, and a capital investment road map for transitioning from the current to the target environment. The use of enterprise architectures is a best practice in information technology (IT) management followed by leading public and private organizations and is required by the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and DOD. 2 Our experience with federal agencies has shown that attempting a major modernization effort without a complete and enforceable enterprise architecture results in systems that are duplicative, are not well integrated, are unnecessarily.

To correct its long-standing and pervasive financial management weaknesses, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to invest billions of dollars to modernize its financial management operations and supporting systems. Effectively managing such a large and complex endeavor requires, among other things, a well-defined and enforced blueprint for operational and technological change, commonly referred to as an enterprise architecture. Such an architecture provides a clear and comprehensive picture of an entity, whether it is an organization (e.g., federal department, agency, or bureau) or a functional or mission area that cuts across more than one organization (e.g., financial management or combat identification 1 ). This picture consists of three integrated components: a snapshot of the enterprise s current operational and technological environment, a snapshot of its target environment, and a capital investment road map for transitioning from the current to the target environment. The use of enterprise architectures is a best practice in information technology (IT) management followed by leading public and private organizations and is required by the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and DOD. 2 Our experience with federal agencies has shown that attempting a major modernization effort without a complete and enforceable enterprise architecture results in systems that are duplicative, are not well integrated, are unnecessarily