The agency’s mission is to maintain the  health, diversity, and productivity of public lands for the use and enjoyment  of present and future generations. BLM’s estimated IT expenditures are  $146.45 million for fiscal year 2003. This framework identifies critical processes for successful IT  investments organized into a framework of five increasingly mature stages. The bureau has also initiated efforts to manage its projects as a  portfolio and performed two postimplementation reviews to learn lessons  to improve its investment management process. The bureau has satisfied all the  key practices associated with establishing the governing boards  responsible for managing IT investments and ensuring that IT projects  support organizational needs and meet users’ needs. For  example, in 1998, the bureau established an IT Investment Board (the ITIB)  to manage national investments. BLM has initiated efforts to manage its investments as a portfolio. Compared with the progress at stage 2, BLM’s progress to date in defining  practices for higher level maturity stages has been limited because,  according to its officials, the ITIB first focused its resources on establishing  the processes associated with building the IT investment management  foundation. According to  the CIO, this is because BLM intends to develop a plan integrating  improvements for IT investment management and other IT management  areas, and the results of the comprehensive assessment to be used as a  basis for this integrated plan were not received until June 2003. Until  BLM develops this plan, the bureau risks losing the momentum it has  gained in implementing its ITIM process. By  establishing most of the key practices associated with building the  investment foundation, the bureau has strengthened its basic capabilities  for selecting and controlling projects and positioned itself to develop the  processes for managing its investments as a portfolio. Without this plan, BLM risks not being able to sustain the  progress made to date in establishing its investment management process. Recommendations for Executive Action

To strengthen BLM’s IT investment management capability and address the  weaknesses discussed in this report, we recommend that the Secretary of  the Department of the Interior direct the BLM Director to develop and  implement a plan for improving its IT investment management process that  is based on GAO’s ITIM stage 2 and 3 critical processes. We also reviewed an improvement plan developed about 3 years  ago based on strengths and weaknesses of BLM’s IT investment  management process at that time, and the results of the comprehensive IT  management assessment BLM officials stated they plan to use as a basis for  an integrated plan for improving IT investment management and other IT  management areas.
Why GAO Did This Study

The mission of the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is to maintain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. BLM employs about 11,000 people, with information technology (IT) playing a critical role in helping BLM perform its responsibilities. The bureau estimates that it will spend about $146 million on IT initiatives in fiscal year 2003. GAO was asked to evaluate BLM's IT investment management (ITIM) capabilities and determine the bureau's plans for improving these capabilities. GAO's evaluation was based on applying its ITIM maturity framework, which identifies critical processes for successful IT investment management.

What GAO Found

BLM has made progress in establishing its ITIM capabilities. Specifically, BLM has established most of the key practices associated with building an investment foundation. For example, the bureau has established a board for managing IT investments, implemented processes to ensure that IT projects support business needs and meet users' requirements, and established a process for selecting IT proposals. In addition, the bureau has efforts under way to address the key practices it has not yet established. BLM has also initiated efforts to manage its investments as a portfolio. For example, it has established a council to support portfolio management activities and begun defining portfolio selection criteria. BLM has also begun performing postimplementation reviews to learn lessons that will help define and implement an IT investment evaluation process. However BLM's progress to date in defining practices for managing its investments as a portfolio has been limited because, according to its officials, its investment board first focused its resources on establishing the processes associated with building the IT investment management foundation. Although BLM has made progress in developing its IT investment process, it has not yet developed a plan to guide its efforts in this area and, as a result, may not be able to successfully establish more mature ITIM processes. According to the chief information officer, this is because BLM wanted to develop an ITIM plan that is integrated with improvement plans for other IT management areas, and the results of the comprehensive assessment that were to be used as the basis for such a plan were obtained only in June 2003. BLM officials agree that this plan is necessary for guiding improvement efforts and stated their intention to develop one. Developing such a plan will help BLM sustain progress made to date.