Investment Management And Acquisition Challenges At The Department Of Homeland Security

Investment management and acquisition challenges at the Department of Homeland Security: hearing before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, first session, September 15, 2009.

Investment management and acquisition challenges at the Department of Homeland Security : hearing before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, first session, September 15, 2009.

The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) invests extensively in major acquisition programs to develop new systems that help the department execute its many critical missions. In 2011, DHS reported to Congress that it planned to invest $167 billion in these major acquisition programs. GAO previously found that DHS had not managed its investments effectively, and its acquisition management activities have been on GAO’s High Risk List since 2005. This report addresses the extent to which (1) major DHS acquisition programs face key challenges; (2) DHS has policies and processes to effectively manage individual acquisition programs; (3) DHS has policies and processes to effectively manage its portfolio of acquisition programs as a whole; and (4) DHS has taken actions to address the high-risk acquisition management issues GAO has identified. Tables and figures. This is a print on demand report.

" DHS invests extensively in major acquisition programs to develop new systems that help the department execute its many critical missions. In 2011, DHS reported to Congress that it planned to invest $167 billion in these major acquisition programs. We previously found that DHS had not managed its investments effectively, and its acquisition management activities have been on GAO's High Risk List since 2005. This report addresses the extent to which (1) major DHS acquisition programs face key challenges; (2) DHS has policies and processes to effectively manage individual acquisition programs; (3) DHS has policies and processes to effectively manage its portfolio of acquisition programs as a whole; and (4) DHS has taken actions to address the high-risk acquisition management issues GAO has identified in previous reports. GAO surveyed all 77 major program offices DHS identified in 2011 (92 percent response rate), reviewed available documentation of acquisition decisions from November 2008 to April 2012, and interviewed officials at DHS headquarters and components. "

The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) has relied on service acquisitions to meet its expansive mission. In FY 2006, DHS spent $12.7 billion to procure services. To improve service acquisition outcomes, fed. procurement law establishes a preference for a performance-based approach, which focuses on developing measurable outcomes rather than prescribing how contractors should perform services. This report: (1) evaluates the implementation of a performance-based approach in the context of service acquisitions for major, complex investments; and (2) identifies mgmt. challenges that may affect DHS¿s successful acquisitions for major investments, including those using a performance-based approach. Includes recommend. Illus.