The Government Accountability Office reports that changes the Department of Homeland Security has applied to the acquisition strategy of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services‘ Transformation Program have delayed the program and increased costs.GAO said in its May 18 report to Congress that compared to previous plans citing a $2.1 billion budget and June 2014 completion, the program is now scheduled to roll out by March 2019 with a $3.1 billion cost.
According to the agency, changes to the approaches used for software development, contracting and program architecture have adversely affected the Transformation Program’s schedule on cost savings and operational efficiencies.
The program’s two governance bodies — the Acquisition Review Board and Executive Steering Committee — have also inconsistently implemented program oversight practices and used reliable information to shape reporting and decision-making, GAO said.
GAOÂ recommends DHS, USCIS and the governance bodies work on program oversight and governance by establishing new baseline goals on cost, schedule and performance; tracking performance and corrective actions; and using complete and accurate data for program reviews.
