United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Office of the Comptroller General author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1999-01-01 monographic deposited born digital 43 p. GA 1.13:OCG-99-12 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12 P0b002ee18039978d f:cg99012 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12 OCG-99-12 Information resources management Financial management Federal agency reorganization Facility security Internal controls Computer security Risk management Strategic planning Accountability Terrorism Dept. of State International Cooperative Administrative Support Services System Kenya Tanzania Y2K Performance and Accountability Series 1999 Letter Report OCG As part of its Performance and Accountability Series, GAO provided information on the major management challenges and program risks facing the Department of State.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) in the wake of the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, Congress provided State $1.45 billion in emergency funding to enhance security around the world; (2) this includes funds for an immediate response to the bombings, such as medical treatment, counterterrorism programs and rewards, and economic assistance, as well as funds to rebuild the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania; (3) State will likely request several billion dollars in funds for new capital construction in the upcoming years; (4) State will face several management challenges in administering an expanded security construction program, including whether it can bring on board the appropriate amount of staff to plan and manage a large number of overseas construction projects; (5) GAO has reported that State relied on outdated and unsecured information and financial management systems that are vulnerable to year 2000 problems and security breaches; (6) State estimated in 1997 that it would need $2.7 billion over 5 years to achieve a modernized global infrastructure; (7) State has since taken steps to improve its information security and adopted an improved approach to addressing its year 2000 problems; (8) it has also begun to incorporate a comprehensive capital planning and investment process into its information technology investments; (9) however, State needs to ensure that it remediates on a timely basis its mission-critical systems; (10) in the financial management area, State received, for the first time, a clean opinion on its fiscal year 1997 financial statements; (11) State processes more than 8 million immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications annually; (12) to reduce the program's vulnerability to fraud, State has put a number of controls in place to prevent unqualified individuals from receiving a visa, including a special computerized logarithmic name-checking capability and an anti-terrorism tipoff program; (13) in a major effort to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S. foreign affairs operations, Congress directed the abolishment of the U.S. Information Agency and the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency and the transfer of those functions into State; (14) a key issue is whether State can integrate these agencies in a manner that reduces overall costs while enhancing capability; (15) State is making progress in addressing these issues; and (16) State has also completed strategic and annual performance plans under the Government Performance and Results Act. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12/html/GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12/pdf/GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12.pdf GAO/OCG-99-12 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-OCG-99-12 Letter Report GAO/OCG-99-12; Major Management Challenges and Program Risks: Department of State; Information resources management Financial management Federal agency reorganization Facility security Internal controls Computer security Risk management Strategic planning Accountability Terrorism Dept. of State International Cooperative Administrative Support Services System Kenya Tanzania Y2K Performance and Accountability Series 1999 Volume 109 Page 163 109 Stat. 163 Volume 110 Page 679 110 Stat. 679 Public Law 104-13 Public Law 104-106 Public Law 105-277