Homeland Security: Planned Expenditures for U.S. Visitor and
Immigrant Status Program Need to Be Adequately Defined and
Justified (14-FEB-07, GAO-07-278).
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established a
program--the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator
Technology (US-VISIT)--to collect, maintain, and share
information, including biometric identifiers, on selected foreign
nationals who travel to the United States. By congressional
mandate, DHS is to develop and submit for approval an expenditure
plan for US-VISIT that satisfies certain conditions, including
being reviewed by GAO. GAO was required to determine if the plan
satisfied these conditions, follow up on recommendations related
to the expenditure plan, and provide any other observations. To
address the mandate, GAO assessed plans against federal
guidelines and industry standards and interviewed the appropriate
DHS officials.
-------------------------Indexing Terms-------------------------
REPORTNUM: GAO-07-278
ACCNO: A65926
TITLE: Homeland Security: Planned Expenditures for U.S. Visitor
and Immigrant Status Program Need to Be Adequately Defined and
Justified
DATE: 02/14/2007
SUBJECT: Accountability
Biometrics
Congressional oversight
Documentation
Financial analysis
Homeland security
Immigration and naturalization law
Investment planning
Procurement planning
Program evaluation
Program management
Strategic planning
Cost analysis
Transparency
DHS Visitor and Immigrant Status
Indicator Technology Program
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GAO-07-278
* [1]Report to Congressional Committees
* [2]February 2007
* [3]HOMELAND SECURITY
* [4]Planned Expenditures for U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status
Program Need to Be Adequately Defined and Justified
* [5]Contents
* [6]Compliance with Legislative Conditions
* [7]Status of Open Recommendations
* [8]Observations on the Expenditure Plan and Management of
US-VISIT
* [9]Conclusions
* [10]Recommendations for Executive Action
* [11]Agency Comments
* [12]Briefing to the Staffs of the Subcommittees on Homeland Security,
Senate and House Committees on Appropriations
* [13]Comments from the Department of Homeland Security
* [14]GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgments
www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-278.
To view the full product, including the scope
and methodology, click on the link above.
For more information, contact Randolph C. Hite at (202) 512-3439 or
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Highlights of GAO-07-278, a report to congressional committees
February 2007
HOMELAND SECURITY
Planned Expenditures for U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Program Need to
Be Adequately Defined and Justified
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has established a program--the
U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT)--to
collect, maintain, and share information, including biometric identifiers,
on selected foreign nationals who travel to the United States. By
congressional mandate, DHS is to develop and submit for approval an
expenditure plan for US-VISIT that satisfies certain conditions, including
being reviewed by GAO. GAO was required to determine if the plan satisfied
these conditions, follow up on recommendations related to the expenditure
plan, and provide any other observations. To address the mandate, GAO
assessed plans against federal guidelines and industry standards and
interviewed the appropriate DHS officials.
[15]What GAO Recommends
GAO is recommending that the Secretary of DHS direct the US-VISIT program
director to increase program transparency and accountability by defining
and justifying planned investments and effectively measuring and reporting
on their progress and to determine and mitigate risks associated with not
fully satisfying legislative conditions and report these risks to DHS
senior leadership and to the appropriate congressional committees. DHS
agreed with GAO's findings and recommendations.
The US-VISIT expenditure plan, related program documentation, and program
officials' statements satisfied or partially satisfied each of the
legislative conditions required by the Department of Homeland Security
Appropriations Act, 2006. For example, they satisfied the condition that
the agency provide certification that an independent verification and
validation agent is currently under contract for the program and partially
satisfied the condition that US-VISIT comply with DHS's enterprise
architecture.
DHS also completed or partially completed each of GAO's prior expenditure
plan-related recommendations. For example, the department completed
recommendations that it provide an expenditure plan to the Senate and
House Appropriations Subcommittees on Homeland Security before obligating
restricted fiscal year funds and that it identify and disclose management
reserve funding in those plans. However, DHS only partially completed
recommendations that the plan fully disclose how the US-VISIT acquisition
is being managed and that it fully disclose US-VISIT's cost, schedule,
capabilities, and benefits.
GAO identified several additional areas of concern. First, DHS has not
adequately defined and justified its proposed fiscal year 2006
expenditures for pilot and demonstration projects aimed at collecting
information on persons exiting the country at air, sea, and land borders.
Second, DHS has continued to invest in US-VISIT without a clearly defined
operational context that includes explicit relationships with related
border security and immigration enforcement initiatives. Third, US-VISIT
program management costs have risen sharply, while costs for development
have decreased, without any accompanying explanation of the reasons.
Overall, the US-VISIT fiscal year 2006 expenditure plan and other
available program documentation do not provide a sufficient basis for
Congress to exercise effective oversight of the program and to hold the
department accountable for results. For proper oversight and
accountability to occur, it is essential that DHS increase US-VISIT
program transparency and accountability by justifying planned investments
on the basis of adequate definition and disclosure of planned
expenditures, timelines, capabilities, and benefits, and by effectively
measuring and reporting progress against each. It is also essential for
DHS to fully satisfy each of the conditions legislated by Congress,
because doing so will minimize the program's exposure to risk.
*** End of document. ***