The plan is  composed of four recurring reviews: self-assessment, operational status,  on-site, and acquisition planning. The CPO has issued an acquisition  oversight program guidebook, provided training on self-assessment and  operational status reviews, and began implementation of the four reviews  in the plan (see table 1). The acquisition oversight plan generally incorporates basic principles of  an effective and accountable acquisition function and includes  mechanisms to monitor acquisition performance. However, the acquisition planning reviews are not sufficient to determine  if components’ adequately plan their acquisitions. Several recent reviews have identified problems in DHS’s  acquisition planning. The CPO Faces Challenges in Implementing Reviews and Corrective Actions

DHS faces two challenges in achieving the goals of its acquisition  oversight plan. First, the CPO has had limited resources to implement the  plan reviews. In turn, we recommended that the Secretary of  Homeland Security provide the CPO with sufficient enforcement authority  to effectively oversee the Department’s acquisitions—a recommendation  that has yet to be implemented. An independent  evaluation of DHS’s acquisition oversight program by the Inspector  General or an external auditor could help strengthen the oversight  conducted through the plan and better ensure that the program is fully  implemented and maintaining its effectiveness over time. The CPO has been assigned responsibility for  ensuring the integrity of the oversight process—in part by providing  lessons learned for acquisition program management and execution. In addition to the Web site, other  opportunities may exist for sharing knowledge. Additional actions are needed to achieve the plan’s objectives  and opportunities exist to strengthen oversight through enhanced internal  controls. Recommendations for Executive Action

To improve oversight of component acquisition planning processes and  the overall effectiveness of the acquisition oversight plan, we recommend  that the Secretary of Homeland Security direct the Chief Procurement  Officer to take the following three actions:    Reevaluate the approach to oversight of acquisition planning reviews  and determine whether the mechanisms under the plan are sufficient to  monitor component actions and improve component acquisition  planning efforts. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

To determine actions taken by DHS to implement the acquisition oversight  plan and challenges DHS faces, we reviewed prior GAO and DHS Office of  the Inspector General reports pertaining to acquisition oversight as well as  relevant DHS documents, such as the oversight plan, documents of  completed reviews and guidance to components, including training  materials. We interviewed officials in the CPO’s office and the nine DHS  components with acquisition offices.
Why GAO Did This Study

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the third largest department in federal procurement spending in fiscal year 2006, has faced ongoing cost, schedule, and performance problems with major acquisitions and procurement of services. In December 2005, DHS established an acquisition oversight program to provide insight into and improve components' acquisition programs. In 2006, GAO reported that DHS faced challenges in implementing its program. Congress mandated that DHS develop an oversight plan and tasked GAO with analyzing the plan. GAO (1) evaluated actions DHS and its components have taken to implement the acquisition oversight plan and (2) identified implementation challenges. GAO also identified opportunities for strengthening oversight conducted through the plan. GAO reviewed relevant DHS documents and GAO and DHS Inspector General reports and interviewed officials in the office of the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) and nine DHS components.

What GAO Found

The CPO has taken several actions to implement DHS's acquisition oversight plan--which generally incorporates basic principles of an effective and accountable acquisition function. The plan monitors acquisition performance through four recurring reviews: self-assessment, operational status, on-site, and acquisition planning. Each component has completed the first self-assessment, which has helped components identify and prioritize acquisition weaknesses. In addition, each component has submitted an initial operational status report to the CPO and on-site reviews are being conducted. Despite this progress, the acquisition planning reviews are not sufficient to determine if components adequately plan their acquisitions--in part because a required review has not been implemented and the CPO lacks visibility into components' planning activities. DHS faces two key challenges in implementing its acquisition oversight plan. First, the CPO has had limited oversight resources to implement plan reviews. However, recent increases in staff have begun to address this challenge. Second, the CPO lacks sufficient authority to ensure components comply with the plan--despite being held accountable for departmentwide management and oversight of the acquisition function. GAO has previously recommended that DHS provide the CPO with sufficient enforcement authority to enable effective acquisition oversight. In addition to these challenges, GAO identified two opportunities to strengthen internal controls for overseeing the plan's implementation and for increasing knowledge sharing. Specifically, independent evaluations of DHS's oversight program could help ensure that the plan maintains its effectiveness over time. Sharing knowledge and lessons learned could provide DHS's acquisition workforce with the information needed to improve their acquisition processes and better achieve DHS's mission.