	Background

As part of a multilayered defense strategy, MTSA required vessels and port  facilities to have security plans in place by July 1, 2004, including  provisions establishing and controlling access to secure areas of vessels  and ports. Three Main Factors Caused TSA to Miss Its Initial Target Date for Issuing Worker Identification Cards

Three main factors, all of which resulted in delays for testing the prototype  card system, caused the agency to miss its initial August 2004 target date  for issuing maritime worker identification cards. Working with DHS and  OMB officials to identify additional information needed for a cost-benefit  analysis and alternatives analysis required additional time, further delaying  the prototype test. DHS has not determined when it may begin issuing cards under any of the  three proposed program alternatives—the federal, decentralized, or TWIC  programs. Using Established Planning and Management Practices Could Help TSA Address Challenges and Better Manage Risk

TSA officials indicated that in the near future, as they move forward with  developing and operating a maritime worker identification card program,  they face a number of challenges, including resolving issues with  stakeholders, such as how to share costs of the program, determining the  fee for the maritime worker identification card, obtaining funding for the  next phase of the program. Failure to  develop these plans holds significant potential to adversely affect the card  program, putting it at higher risk of cost overruns, missed deadlines, and  underperformance. Lack of a Comprehensive Project Plan Could Limit TSA’s Ability to Complete Future Work

According to TSA officials, the agency lacks an approved, comprehensive  project plan to guide the remaining phases of the project, which include  the testing of a maritime worker identification card system prototype and  issuance of the cards. But, TSA has not developed such a strategy to address this specific risk. Recommendations for Executive Action

To help ensure that TSA meets the challenges it is facing in developing and  operating its maritime worker identification card program, we are  recommending that the Secretary of Homeland Security direct the TSA  Administrator to employ industry best practices for project planning and  management, by taking the following two actions:   Develop a comprehensive project plan for managing the remaining life of  the project. Develop specific, detailed plans for risk mitigation and cost-benefit and  alternatives analyses. Appendix I: Comments from the Department of Homeland Security
Why GAO Did This Study

As part of a multilayered effort to strengthen port security, the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) of 2002 calls for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to issue a worker identification card that uses biological metrics, such as fingerprints, to control access to secure areas of ports or ships. Charged with the responsibility for developing this card, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), within DHS, initially planned to issue a Transportation Worker Identification Credential in August 2004 to about 6 million maritime workers. GAO assessed what factors limited TSA's ability to meet its August 2004 target date for issuing cards and what challenges remain for TSA to implement the card.

What GAO Found

Three main factors, all of which resulted in delays for testing a prototype of the maritime worker identification card system, caused the agency to miss its initial August 2004 target date for issuing the cards: (1) officials had difficulty obtaining timely approval to proceed with the prototype test from DHS, (2) extra time was required to identify data to be collected for a cost-benefit analysis, and (3) additional work to assess card technologies was required. DHS has not determined when it may begin issuing cards. In the future, TSA will face difficult challenges as it moves forward with developing and operating the card program, for example, developing regulations that identify eligibility requirements for the card. An additional challenge--and one that holds potential to adversely affect the entire program--is that TSA does not yet have a comprehensive plan in place for managing the project. Failure to develop such a plan places the card program at higher risk of cost overruns, missed deadlines, and underperformance. Following established, industry best practices for project planning and management could help TSA address these challenges. Best practices suggest managers develop a comprehensive project plan and other, detailed component plans. However, while TSA has initiated some project planning, the agency lacks an approved comprehensive project plan to govern the life of the project and has not yet developed other, detailed component plans for risk mitigation or the cost-benefit and alternatives analyses.