In an area of growing importance, VA has taken key steps in laying the  groundwork for an integrated, departmentwide enterprise architecture—a  blueprint for evolving its information systems and developing new systems  that optimize their mission value. Crucial executive support has been  established and the department has put in place a strategy to define  products and processes that are critical to its development. VA is also  currently recruiting a chief architect to assist in implementing and  managing the enterprise architecture. Information security management is another area in which VA has taken  important steps to strengthen its department-level program, including  mandating information security performance standards and, thus, greater  management accountability for senior executives. It has also updated  security policies, procedures, and standards to guide the implementation  of critical security measures. However, VA continues to report pervasive  and serious information security weaknesses. Conversely, the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) managers and  clinicians have made good progress in expanding their use of the decision  support system (DSS) to facilitate clinical and financial decisionmaking. The use of DSS data for the fiscal year 2002 resource allocation process  and a requirement that veteran integrated service network directors better  account for their use of this system have both raised awareness of and  promoted its utility among VHA facilities. Lastly, VA has achieved limited progress in its joint efforts with the  Department of Defense and Indian Health Service to create an interface  for sharing data in their health information systems, as part of the  government computer-based patient record initiative. Strategies for  implementing the project continue to be revised, its scope has been  substantially narrowed, and it continues to operate without clear lines of  authority or comprehensive, coordinated plans.
What GAO Found

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has laid the groundwork for an integrated, departmentwide enterprise architecture--a blueprint for evolving its information systems and developing new systems to optimize their mission value. Crucial executive support is in place and the department has a strategy to define products and processes critical to its development. VA is now recruiting a chief architect to help implement and manage the enterprise architecture. VA has tried to strengthen its information security management program by mandating information security performance standards and greater management accountability for senior executives. It has also updated security policies, procedures, and standards to implement critical security measures. Despite these efforts, VA continues to report pervasive and serious information security weaknesses. The Veterans Benefits Administration is still far from launching a modernized system to replace its aging benefits delivery network. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has made good progress in expanding the use of its decision support system (DSS) for clinical and financial decision making. The use of DSS data for the fiscal year 2002 resource allocation process, and a requirement that veteran integrated service network directors better account for their use of this system, have raised awareness of, and promoted its use, among VHA facilities. VA has made little progress in sharing data with the Department of Defense and Indian Health Service as part of a computer-based patient record initiative. Implementation strategies continue to be revised, the scope of the initiative has been substantially narrowed, and it continues to operate without clear lines of authority or comprehensive, coordinated plans.