Therefore, in the mid-1980s, it began planning to  acquire an automated land and mineral case processing system. According to BLM, it  obligated about $411 million on the ALMRS/Modernization project between  fiscal years 1983 and 1998, of which more than $67 million was spent to  develop ALMRS IOC software. BLM has been slow to implement  some of our recommendations and has not yet fully implemented others. Designing and developing the  project without a system architecture and concept of operations  unnecessarily increased the risk that the ALMRS/Modernization would  not meet the business and information needs of the bureau. Where BLM Should Go From Here

At this point, BLM has made an enormous investment in software that does  not meet its business needs. In  addition, to reduce the risk that future information technology efforts will  result in a similar outcome, BLM should assess its investment management  practices and its systems acquisition capabilities. Analysis of ALMRS IOC Software Is Needed

We believe that since BLM has invested over $67 million to develop the  ALMRS IOC software, the bureau should thoroughly analyze the software  to determine whether it can be modified to meet users’ needs and at what  cost. However, the officials recognize that this was not the same as  the more comprehensive assessment suggested by SEI.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Automated Land and Mineral Record System project, also known as the ALMRS/Modernization, focusing on: (1) the history of the project; (2) the results of GAO's reviews, including the key reasons for problems; and (3) where GAO believes BLM should go from here.

What GAO Found

GAO noted that: (1) BLM spent over 15 years and estimates that it invested about $411 million planning and developing the ALMRS/Modernization, only to have the major software component--known as the ALMRS Initial Operating Capacity (IOC)--fail; (2) as a result of that failure, the bureau decided not to deploy ALMRS IOC at this time; (3) GAO has previously reported on the significant problems and risks that BLM has encountered; (4) GAO has made many recommendations to reduce those risks; however, BLM has been slow to implement some recommendations and has not yet fully implemented others; (5) BLM now needs to determine whether it can salvage any of the more than $67-million reported investment in ALMRS IOC software, by analyzing the software to determine if it can be cost-beneficially modified to meet BLM's needs; and (6) in addition, to reduce the risk that future efforts will result in similar failures, BLM should assess its information technology investment practices and systems acquisition capabilities.