Specifically, HPCC was linked to the development of a national information infrastructure (NII). On the basis of subsequent discussions with committee staff, our specific objectives were to assess (1) the effectiveness of the program’s management structure in setting goals and measuring progress and (2) how extensively private industry has been involved in the planning and execution of the program. Now, however, the administration is also counting on the HPCC program to help develop the new technology that will be needed to make the NII successful and to give the nation a competitive economic edge. Inconsistent Budget Information Has Made Tracking HPCC Investments Difficult

Budgets and expenditures for HPCC activities, both inside and outside the program, have not been accounted for in a uniform and easily understood way. This is because participating agencies have diverse research programs and equally diverse ways of identifying and categorizing their HPCC spending. In order to be successful at that new task, the program could benefit from a detailed technical agenda, identifying and prioritizing the kinds of technologies it will develop in support of the NII. While industry has been extensively involved in the actual execution of HPCC projects, as the program moves forward it would benefit from partnerships with key industries that could capitalize on HPCC technologies to create new products and services for the NII. Given that the administration sees the HPCC program as playing an important role in developing key technologies for the NII, HPCC managers must more effectively promote industry participation.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of the High Performance Computing and Communications (HPCC) program, focusing on: (1) the effectiveness of the program's management structure in setting goals and measuring progress; and (2) how extensively private industry has been involved in program planning and execution.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) the Administration is broadening the HPCC role in developing new technology in support of the National Information Infrastructure (NII); (2) industry and academic researchers believe that specific technology areas will need to be targeted to develop support for NII; (3) a more focused HPCC management approach could help ensure that program goals are met; (4) a detailed technical agenda will be needed to identify HPCC priority areas and commit resources to them; (5) inconsistent budget information has made tracking HPCC investments difficult, since participating agencies have diverse methods of identifying and categorizing their HPCC spending; (6) industry participation in HPCC is more important now that the Administration has linked HPCC to the planned NII; and (7) industries that could capitalize on HPCC technologies to create new products and services for NII should be better represented among HPCC program participants.