The bureau subsequently stopped the ALMRS project. We recommended that BLM  assess the usefulness of ALMRS IOC and other alternatives to meeting the  bureau’s business needs, and strengthen its investment management  processes and systems acquisition capabilities. While these actions represent improvements, BLM has not yet established  criteria and processes to properly control and evaluate IT investments. The bureau has begun to  improve the selection and management of its IT investments and develop  more mature systems development and acquisition capabilities. BLM has also taken steps to acquire a component of a major information  system before completing improvement actions to its investment control  processes. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

As requested by the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies,  Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, our objectives  were to determine whether BLM (1) has adequately assessed the usability  of the ALMRS IOC software and other alternatives to meet its business  needs, (2) has adequately strengthened its investment management  practices, (3) is using sound systems acquisition processes, (4) has  integrated all of its investment management and systems acquisition  improvement projects and developed an overall plan and schedule for  completing this integrated work, and (5) is planning to undertake any  sizable systems acquisition or development efforts prior to strengthening  its information technology program. Land Management Systems: BLM Faces Risks in Completing the  Automated Land and Mineral Record System (GAO/AIMD-97-42,  March 19, 1997).
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO reviewed steps taken by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to strengthen its information technology (IT) investment management and acquisition capabilities. The Bureau took these actions to address recommendations made in an earlier report on the failure of the Automated Land and Mineral Record System (ALMRS) to meet BLM's business needs.

What GAO Found

GAO found that since 1999, BLM has been working to implement GAO recommendations to determine the usefulness of ALMRS and to assess and strengthen its IT investment management and acquisition capabilities. Although the bureau has not yet finished these efforts, it has begun to apply improved management strategies for selecting IT investments, develop processes and practices for controlling and evaluating investments, and build a more mature systems acquisition capability. However, before completing and institutionalizing new investment control processes, the Bureau has begun moving forward with an IT acquisition. As a result, BLM's efforts may be subject to the same project management and management oversight risks that adversely affected the ALMRS/Modernization.