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AIMD-96-26R 1 (1995-12-11)

handle is hein.gao/gaobackzz0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 
United States
General Accounting Office
Washington, D.C. 20548

Accounting and Information
Management Division



B-262052


December 11, 1995

The Honorable Doris M. Meissner
Commissioner, Immigration and
   Naturalization Service

Dear Ms. Meissner:

On November 9, 1995, we met with senior members of your information resources
management (IRM) team to discuss our observations regarding the Immigration and
Naturalization Service's (INS) efforts to develop and implement an information
technology (IT) investment strategy. We conducted this work because INS officials
indicated that they could spend over $700 million on IT within the next 3 fiscal
years to better meet mission goals and objectives and to improve long-standing
weaknesses in manual processes and automated systems. Our work was intended
to be an initial assessment and not an exhaustive review of the status of INS' efforts
to begin managing information systems projects as investments.

We believe INS' efforts to adopt the practices endorsed by leading private and
public organizations to improve mission performance and reduce costs are a step in
the right direction.' INS has begun to improve IRM leadership, emphasize the need
for strategic planning, and establish an IT investment strategy. The implementation
of the investment strategy, however, is in its early stages. Based on the best
practices of leading organizations, there are several critical areas that will need to
be addressed. The following represents agreements reached with your staff on
additional actions to better ensure that the strategy is effective in improving INS'
ability to implement reliable information systems and bring about mission benefits.





'These practices are included in such documents as our report, Executive Guide:
Improving Mission Performance Through Strategic Information Management and
Technology (GAO/AIMD-94-115, May 1994); the Government Performance and
Results Act of 1993; OMB Circular A-130, Management of Federal Information
Resources; and the Federal Information Resources Management Regulation
(FIRMR 201-20.001).

                                   GAO/AIMD-96-26R INS Investment Strategy

                            15 5'7 )

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