Further, of the analyses performed by the two
PortfolioStat reviews. For example, in September  2011, we reported that results of OMB initiatives to identify potentially  duplicative IT investments were mixed and that several federal agencies  did not routinely assess their entire IT portfolios to identify and remove or  consolidate duplicative systems.OMB’s recent initiatives had not yet demonstrated results, and several  agencies had not routinely assessed legacy systems to determine if they  were duplicative. Specifically, of the 590 IT investments reviewed, we identified  12 potentially duplicative investments (within 5 purpose groups) at DHS,  DOD, and HHS which accounted for about $321 million in reported IT  spending for fiscal years 2008 through 2013. With regard to the 12 investments, we found, as shown in table 2,  the following:  two potentially duplicative investments totaling about $30 million at  DHS that are used to “book” and process apprehended illegal aliens  who are suspected of committing criminal and administrative  violations, commonly referred to as immigration enforcement booking  management;  four such investments totaling about $31 million at DOD, which  include two investments totaling $16 million that track health care  status of warfighters and two investments totaling $15 million that  manage dental care; and six potentially duplicative investments totaling approximately $260  million at HHS, which include four investments totaling $257 million  that support enterprise information security and two totaling $4 million  for Medicare Coverage Determination. It is important that federal agencies avoid duplicative investments,  whenever possible, to ensure the most efficient use of resources. DOD officials  agreed that these investments had areas of duplication, and stated that  they recently canceled the Clinical Case Management Information  Technology Initiative, in part to address this duplication. Nonetheless, HHS officials stated that the  department is currently conducting a review, to be completed by  September 2013, to identify opportunities for consolidation of information  security activities across its components. With regard to the other functions, the officials said that they  determined that consolidating these functions would be more costly than  keeping them separate, due to issues such as differences in mandated  processes, security requirements and the size and complexity of the  systems, but were not able to provide documentation showing this cost  analysis. In other instances, DHS, DOD, and  HHS have not yet demonstrated evidence of plans to do so. As a result,  the agencies cannot provide assurance they are not spending resources  on duplicative investments. Recommendations for Executive Action

To better ensure agencies avoid duplicative investments, we recommend  that the Secretary of Homeland Security direct appropriate officials to: address the potentially duplicative investments identified in this report,  including assessing the extent to which a single system could meet  CBP and ICE immigration enforcement booking requirements. We also note (and discuss in the report) that ICE was unable to provide  analyses showing, among other things, that its specific requirements  could not be satisfied by the E3 system. GAO staff who made  major contributions to this report are listed in appendix V.

Appendix I: Objective, Scope, and Methodology

Our objective was to identify whether there are potentially duplicative  information technology (IT) investments at key federal agencies. To do this, we first selected for review  the three agencies with the largest amount of planned IT spending during  fiscal year 2012—namely, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS),  Defense (DOD), and Health and Human Services (HHS). We then discussed  these investments with the appropriate agency officials, including whether  the investments could be consolidated or eliminated, and obtained  additional information on each investment. This included reviewing and  assessing agencies’ rationales for having multiple systems that perform  similar functions.
Why GAO Did This Study

The federal government budgets more than $82 billion annually for IT. Given the magnitude of this investment, it is important that federal agencies avoid investing in duplicative systems to ensure the most efficient use of resources. GAO's prior work has shown that agencies were funding IT investments that perform similar functions, thus raising concern that these agencies were investing in unnecessary systems. This work also raised questions about whether agencies have similar potentially duplicative investments in other areas.
GAO was asked to review duplicative IT investments. The objective of this report was to identify whether there are other potentially duplicative IT investments at key federal agencies. To do so, GAO selected for review the three agencies with the largest amount of planned IT spending--DHS, DOD, and HHS. GAO analyzed agency budgetary data (submitted to the Office of Management and Budget) that categorize investments by function to identify investments that performed similar functions. Such investments were further grouped by their specific mission purpose and discussed with agency officials, including whether they could be consolidated or eliminated.

What GAO Found

Of the 590 information technology (IT) investments reviewed, GAO identified 12 potentially duplicative investments at three key federal agencies--namely, the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Defense (DOD), and Health and Human Services (HHS). These investments accounted for about $321 million in reported IT spending for fiscal years 2008 through 2013. Of the 12 investments, GAO identified:
two potentially duplicative investments at DHS that support immigration enforcement booking management, which includes the processing of apprehended illegal aliens suspected of committing criminal violations of immigration law;
four such investments at DOD, which include two investments that track health care status of warfighters, with one since having been canceled, and two investments that manage dental care; and
six potentially duplicative investments at HHS, which include four investments that support enterprise information security and two for Medicare coverage determination.
DHS officials said having the two immigration booking investments were due in part to one component agency's unique requirements but were unable to provide analysis showing why one system could not satisfy the unique requirements. DOD officials recognized that the investments GAO identified were duplicative and have canceled one of the health care systems and intend to consolidate the dental systems by 2015 but had not developed a plan on how this was to be accomplished. HHS officials disagreed that its information security investments were duplicative but nonetheless plan to review them by September 2013 to identify opportunities for consolidation. Regarding the Medicare coverage determination investments, HHS officials noted that they have consolidated several functions but could not provide documented justification for why the other functions were not consolidated. By addressing these duplications, the agencies will be able to provide assurance they are avoiding investing in unnecessary systems and thus saving resources.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that DOD develop a plan and DHS and HHS conduct analyses to address the potentially duplicative investments identified in this report. DOD and HHS agreed with GAO's recommendations but DHS disagreed. GAO believes that analysis by DHS on why one system would not support both agencies' requirements is needed.