**GAO-07-1013R**                      Published: Jul 17, 2007. Publicly Released: Jul 17, 2007.                  

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## Highlights

GAO and Inspector General (IG) reports have noted that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) efforts to modernize over the last 4 years have been unfocused, conducted in an ad hoc and decentralized manner, and, in certain instances, duplicative. In 2006, USCIS decided to reexamine its modernization effort within the context of an agencywide organizational and business transformation initiative. The agency embarked on a transformation of its business processes and technology aimed at increasing national security and integrity, improving customer service, and achieving operational efficiency. We agreed with this approach and recommended that USCIS employ key practices for successful organizational transformations to better ensure the success of its efforts. USCIS plans to complete its transformation by 2013 at an estimated cost of up to $536 million, mostly funded by fee revenues. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007 mandated that GAO review USCIS' transformation plans before the agency can obligate $47 million in funding for the transformation. Congress also requested that specific information be included in USCIS' plan: all resources associated with transformation efforts (appropriations and fees), including a detailed breakout of costs for fiscal year 2007, and the impact of availability of fee revenue; alignment of the transformation process with DHS' enterprise architecture; and details on expected project performance and deliverables. Pursuant to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2007, USCIS, in May 2007, submitted to the congressional appropriations committees its Transformation Program Strategic Plan and Expenditure Plan. As required by the act, we reviewed these plans. Our objectives were to (1) describe the extent to which USCIS' plans incorporate key practices identified by GAO for organizational transformations, and (2) describe if and how USCIS' plans include congressionally requested information.

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## Recommendations for Executive Action

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## Topics

Information Technology

Best practicesCitizenshipFederal agency reorganizationHomeland securityPerformance measuresReporting requirementsStrategic planningBusiness transformationPolicies and proceduresProgram implementation