United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-07-31 monographic deposited born digital 50 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-1051T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T P0b002ee1803a0763 f:d081051t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T GAO-08-1051T Cost analysis Cost control Evaluation criteria Federal agencies Federal regulations Financial management Financial management systems Information resources management Information technology Internal controls Policy evaluation Program evaluation Program management Regulatory agencies Reporting requirements Risk assessment Risk management Executive agency oversight Policies and procedures OMB Management Watch List Testimony A83219 The federal government spends billons of dollars on information technology (IT) projects each year. Consequently, it is important that projects be managed effectively to ensure that public resources are wisely invested. To this end, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which plays a key role in overseeing the federal government's IT investments, identifies major projects that are poorly planned by placing them on a Management Watch List and requires agencies to identify high-risk projects that are performing poorly (i.e., have performance shortfalls). Having accurate and transparent project cost and schedule information is also essential to effective oversight. At times, changes to this information--called a rebaselining-- are made to reflect changed development circumstances. These changes can be done for valid reasons, but can also be used to mask cost overruns and schedule delays. GAO has previously testified on the Management Watch List and high risk projects. GAO was asked to (1) provide an update on these projects, (2) identify OMB's efforts to improve the identification and oversight of these projects, and (3) summarize the results of GAO's IT project rebaselining report being released today. In preparing this testimony, GAO analyzed current Management Watch List and high risk project information. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T.pdf GAO-08-1051T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-1051T Testimony GAO-08-1051T; Information Technology: OMB and Agencies Need to Improve Planning, Management, and Oversight of Projects Totaling Billions of Dollars; Cost analysis Cost control Evaluation criteria Federal agencies Federal regulations Financial management Financial management systems Information resources management Information technology Internal controls Policy evaluation Program evaluation Program management Regulatory agencies Reporting requirements Risk assessment Risk management Executive agency oversight Policies and procedures OMB Management Watch List