Overview of DHS’s Human Resources Information Technology Investment

Since DHS was created, the department’s human resources environment  has included fragmented systems, duplicative and paper-based  processes, and little uniformity of data management practices. To address these issues, in 2003, DHS initiated the HRIT investment,  which is intended to consolidate, integrate, and modernize the  department’s and its components’ human resources IT infrastructure. While the vast majority of HRIT capabilities (called strategic improvement  opportunities) were to be delivered by June 2015, only 1 has been fully  implemented, and the completion dates for the other 14 are currently  unknown. As a result of DHS’s ineffective management  and limited progress in implementing this investment, the department is  unaware of when critical weaknesses in the department’s human capital  environment will be addressed, which is, among other things, impacting  DHS’s ability to reduce duplication and carry out its mission. HRIT officials explained the decision to focus primarily on PALMS was due, in part, to the investment’s declining funding stream. HRIT’s 2011 Blueprint May Not Be Valid and Reflective of DHS’s Current Priorities and Goals

According to the HRIT executive steering committee’s charter, the Under  Secretary for Management (as the chair of the committee) is to ensure  that the department’s human resources IT business needs are met, as  outlined in the blueprint. However, officials did not know when this re- evaluation and a determination for how to move forward with HRIT would  occur, or be completed. HRIT’s minimally involved executive steering  committee during a time when significant problems were occurring was a  key factor in the lack of progress. Ensure that the HRIT executive steering committee is consistently involved in overseeing and advising HRIT, including approving key program management documents, such as HRIT’s operational plan, schedule, and planned cost estimate. In its comments, the department concurred with our 14 recommendations  and provided estimated completion dates for implementing each of them. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Our objectives were to (1) evaluate the progress the Department of  Homeland Security (DHS) has made in implementing the Human  Resources Information Technology (HRIT) investment and how effectively  DHS has managed the investment since completing the Human Capital  Segment Architecture in August 2011, (2) describe whether DHS has  justified its investment in the Performance and Learning Management  System (PALMS) program, (3) determine whether PALMS is being  implemented enterprise-wide, and (4) evaluate the extent to which  PALMS is implementing selected information technology (IT) acquisition  best practices. To address the first part of our first objective—to evaluate the progress  DHS had made in implementing the HRIT investment—we compared  HRIT’s goals, scope, and implementation time frames (as defined in the  Human Capital Segment Architecture Blueprint, which was completed in  August 2011) to the investment’s actual accomplishments. We also  compared DHS’s planned schedule for implementing the improvement  opportunities and projects against DHS’s current planned schedule for  implementing them as of November 2015.
Why GAO Did This Study

DHS's human resources administrative environment includes fragmented systems, duplicative and paper-based processes, and little uniformity of data management practices, which according to DHS, are compromising the department's ability to effectively carry out its mission. DHS initiated HRIT in 2003 to consolidate, integrate, and modernize DHS's human resources information technology infrastructure. In 2011, DHS redefined HRIT's scope and implementation time frames.
GAO was asked to review DHS's efforts to implement the HRIT investment. GAO's objectives included, among others, evaluating the progress DHS has made in implementing the HRIT investment. GAO compared HRIT's goals and scope to the investment's actual accomplishments, and compared DHS's planned schedule for implementing strategic improvement opportunities (key areas identified by DHS as needing improvement) against its current schedule.

What GAO Found

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has made very little progress in implementing its Human Resources Information Technology (HRIT) investment in the last several years. This investment includes 15 improvement opportunities; as of November 2015, DHS had fully implemented only 1, see table below.
Key: ●Fully implemented ◐Partially implemented ○Not yet started
Source: GAO analysis of data provided by DHS officials.
a Dates reflect the last month of the quarter in which the opportunities were planned to be complete.
HRIT's limited progress was due in part to the lack of involvement of its executive steering committee—the investment's core oversight and advisory body—which was minimally involved with HRIT, such as meeting only one time during a nearly 2-year period when major problems, including schedule delays, were occurring. As a result, key governance activities, such as approval of HRIT's operational plan, were not completed. Officials acknowledged that HRIT should be re-evaluated and took early steps to do so (i.e., meeting to discuss the need to re-evaluate); however, specific actions and time frames have not been determined. Until DHS takes key actions to re-evaluate and manage this neglected investment, it is unknown when its human capital weaknesses will be addressed.

What GAO Recommends

GAO is making 14 recommendations to DHS to, among other things, address HRIT's poor progress and ineffective management. For example, GAO recommends that the HRIT executive steering committee is consistently involved in overseeing and advising the investment. In addition, GAO recommends DHS evaluate the HRIT investment to determine whether its goals are still valid and reflect the department's priorities. DHS concurred with all 14 recommendations and provided estimated completion dates for implementing each of them.