GAO

United States General Accounting Office

Report to the Subcommittee on Interior 

and Related Agencies, Committee on 

Appropriations, House of 

Representatives

February 2000 LAND 

MANAGEMENT 

SYSTEMS

Status of BLM’s 

Actions to Improve 

Information 

Technology 

Management

GAO/AIMD-00-67

Page 1 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements

Contents

Letter 3

Appendixes Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 16

Appendix II: Comments From the Department of the Interior 18

Appendix III: GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgements 21

Abbreviations

ALMRS Automated Land and Mineral Record System

BLM Bureau of Land Management

CIO chief information officer

CMM Capability Maturity Model

IOC Initial Operating Capability

IRM information resources management

NILS National Integrated Land System

OMB Office of Management and Budget

SEI Software Engineering Institute
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Page 3 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements

United States General Accounting Office

Washington, D.C. 20548

Accounting and Information

Management Division

B-284472 Letr

February 24, 2000

The Honorable Ralph Regula

Chairman

The Honorable Norman D. Dicks

Ranking Minority Member

Subcommittee on Interior

and Related Agencies

Committee on Appropriations

House of Representatives

On March 4, 1999, we testified before you on the Bureau of Land 

Management’s (BLM) efforts to develop and deploy the Automated Land 

and Mineral Record System (ALMRS)/Modernization.1

 The 

ALMRS/Modernization project was intended to improve BLM’s ability to 

record, maintain, and retrieve land description, ownership, and use 

information. In our testimony statement we reported that the major 

software component of the ALMRS/Modernization−known as the ALMRS 

Initial Operating Capability (IOC)−failed to meet BLM’s business needs and 

was not deployable. We cited numerous problems and risks that had 

threatened the successful development and deployment of the 

ALMRS/Modernization and recommended actions to help BLM strengthen 

its information technology management practices and reduce the risks that 

future information technology efforts would fail.

At your request, we reviewed BLM’s actions to implement those 

recommendations. Our objectives were to determine whether BLM has 

(1) adequately assessed the usability of the ALMRS IOC and alternatives to 

meet its business needs, (2) adequately assessed and strengthened its 

investment management processes and practices, (3) obtained an 

independent assessment of its systems acquisition capabilities and 

strengthened its systems acquisition processes, and (4) made or is making 

sizable investments prior to strengthening its investment management and 

systems acquisition processes. Our objectives, scope, and methodology are 

presented in appendix I. We performed our work from July 1999 through 

January 2000 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing 

1

Land Management Systems: Major Software Development Does Not Meet BLM’s Business 

Needs (GAO/T-AIMD-99-102, March 4, 1999).
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standards. The Department of the Interior provided written comments 

which are discussed in the “Agency Comments” section of this report and 

are reprinted in appendix II.

Results in Brief The bureau has begun to address our recommendations to analyze the 

usefulness of ALMRS IOC and to assess and strengthen its investment 

management and systems acquisition capabilities. BLM prepared a 

preliminary report of its technical and functional analysis of ALMRS IOC 

and concluded that the system was not operationally ready for deployment 

because it did not meet the bureau’s business needs. According to BLM, 

ALMRS IOC usability problems could not be repaired without a major 

technical effort and significant costs. BLM plans to complete the analysis of 

ALMRS IOC and other alternatives once it has established a bureauwide 

architecture and documented its business needs. At that time, BLM plans to 

determine whether any of the ALMRS IOC software could be cost 

beneficially used or modified to meet those needs. However, BLM has not 

yet developed a plan, schedule, or milestones for completing the analysis of 

ALMRS IOC and other alternatives.

BLM has now assessed its current information resources management 

(IRM) methodologies, policies and strategies, and organizational 

structures. The assessment contractor identified numerous problems and 

deficiencies and made over 90 recommendations to improve BLM’s 

investment management and IRM functions. The bureau is beginning to 

address the recommendations and strengthen its investment management 

practices. For example, it is working to finalize and implement a capital 

asset plan, update its strategic IRM plan, and has revised its Information 

Technology Investment Board charter to improve the selection, control, 

and evaluation of information technology investments. BLM has also begun 

to assess and restructure its IRM staffing and organization and is 

developing a bureauwide architecture that is to identify and document 

BLM’s business processes and associated information needs. The bureau 

expects a significant portion of the architecture to be completed by 

March 31, 2000.

BLM has also obtained an independent assessment of its systems 

acquisition capabilities. The assessment contractor found that BLM’s 

acquisition processes are immature, the characteristics of which include 

the lack of a stable software development and maintenance environment 

and abandonment of planned procedures when executing projects. BLM 

has drafted revised systems acquisition procedures and plans to implement 
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a formal systems acquisition policy after it completes a bureauwide 

architecture.

BLM’s chief information officer (CIO) stated that the bureau is not planning 

any major systems acquisition or development efforts until after its 

architecture is completed and its business needs have been documented. 

At the same time, BLM is continuing its planning efforts for a major 

geographic information system for managing land record data.

BLM is in the early stages of addressing our recommendations to 

strengthen its investment management and systems acquisition 

capabilities. As a result, it is too early to tell whether BLM’s efforts will be 

fully responsive to our recommendations or help reduce its future 

information technology risks. In addition, BLM’s improvement actions are 

currently being carried out as separate projects and have not yet been 

integrated to form a comprehensive investment management program. 

Also, BLM has not yet finalized an overall project plan, schedule, and 

milestones for completing its actions to address our recommendations. 

However, during discussions at the conclusion of our review, BLM’s CIO 

told us that, based on our work, the bureau has begun to address these 

issues. Accordingly, we are recommending that the Secretary of the Interior 

direct BLM to (1) complete the integration of the projects to strengthen its 

investment management and systems acquisition processes and practices 

and (2) complete an overall project plan, schedule, and milestones for its 

investment management and systems acquisition improvement projects. In 

its comments on a draft of this report, the Department of the Interior 

agreed with our recommendations and stated that BLM has begun 

corrective actions.

Background BLM’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of public 

lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The 

bureau manages approximately 264 million acres of public land in 28 states 

and public resources including rangelands, timber, minerals, watersheds, 

wildlife habitats, wilderness and recreation areas, and archeological and 

historical resources. It also manages the subsurface mineral resources 

underlying another 300 million acres of land administered by other 

government agencies or owned by private interests. The bureau has 189 

offices that manage over 1 billion paper documents, including land surveys 

and surveyor notes, records of land ownership, mining claims, and oil and 

gas leases. According to BLM, most of the paper documents are 

deteriorating and are becoming increasingly difficult to read.
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In the mid-1980s BLM began planning to acquire a land and mineral case 

processing system to keep up with its increasing workload, and automate 

its manual records and case processing activities. By 1993 BLM decided on 

the scope and functionality of the project, called the 

ALMRS/Modernization. The project consisted of three major components−

the ALMRS IOC, a geographic information system,2

 and the modernization 

of BLM’s computer and telecommunications infrastructure and rehost of 

selected management and administrative systems. The ALMRS IOC−the 

flagship of the ALMRS/Modernization−was to provide the capability to 

more efficiently record, maintain, and retrieve land description, ownership, 

and use information to support BLM, other federal programs, and 

interested parties.

Since 1995 we have conducted reviews and issued several reports on 

problems and risks that threatened the successful development and 

deployment of the ALMRS/Modernization.3

 In October 1998 an operational 

assessment test and evaluation showed that the ALMRS IOC was not ready 

to be deployed because it did not meet BLM’s business needs. The bureau 

subsequently stopped the ALMRS project. At the time the project was 

terminated, BLM estimated that from 1983 through 1998 it had obligated 

about $411 million for the ALMRS/Modernization project, of which more 

than $67 million was spent to develop ALMRS IOC software.

2

A geographic information system is computer technology designed to assemble, store, 

manipulate, and display geographically referenced data, such as the location of a lake or oil 

well.

3

Land Management Systems: Progress and Risks in Developing BLM’s Land and Mineral 

Record System (GAO/AIMD-95-180, August 31, 1995), Land Management Systems: BLM 

Faces Risks in Completing the Automated Land and Mineral Record System

(GAO/AIMD-97-42, March 19, 1997), Land Management Systems: Information on BLM’s 

Automated Land and Mineral Record System Release 2 Project (GAO/AIMD-97-109R, June 6, 

1997), Land Management Systems: Actions Needed in Completing the Automated Land and 

Mineral Record System Development (GAO/AIMD-98-107, May 15, 1998), and Land 

Management Systems: Major Software Development Does Not Meet BLM’s Business Needs 

(GAO/AIMD-99-135, April 30, 1999).
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Preliminary ALMRS 

IOC Analysis 

Completed, Final 

Analysis Expected 

After March 2000

Because of the enormous investment made in the ALMRS IOC and the 

failure of the software to meet BLM’s needs, we recommended that the 

Secretary of the Interior ensure that BLM thoroughly analyze the ALMRS 

IOC software to determine whether it could be cost beneficially modified to 

meet the bureau’s needs. We pointed out that this analysis should be part of 

an overall effort to identify and assess all alternatives, including 

(1) modifying ALMRS IOC software, (2) modifying existing land and 

recordation systems, (3) acquiring commercial, off-the-shelf software, or 

(4) developing new systems. We also stated that the alternatives analysis 

should clearly identify the risks, costs, and benefits of each alternative and 

should be performed after BLM is assured that it has verified its current 

business requirements.

BLM prepared a preliminary report in June 1999 on its technical and 

functional analysis of ALMRS IOC. BLM concluded that ALMRS IOC was 

not operationally ready for deployment because it did not meet the 

bureau’s business needs. This conclusion was based on the determination 

that ALMRS IOC (1) was difficult to use and labor-intensive, (2) was poorly 

integrated into BLM’s business processes, (3) was too slow, and (4) would 

be difficult and costly to maintain and operate. The bureau stated that 

although some of these problems could be solved, ALMRS IOC could not be 

repaired without a major technical effort and significant costs.

BLM’s CIO told us that the bureau plans to complete its analysis of ALMRS 

IOC and other alternatives after it establishes a bureauwide architecture. 

As noted by the CIO, establishing an architecture is a necessary precursor 

to completing the analysis of ALMRS IOC and other alternatives because 

the architecture will document the bureau’s business processes and 

information needs. BLM plans to have its business needs documented by 

the end of March 2000.

The CIO said that once BLM’s business needs have been documented, the 

bureau plans to complete its analysis of ALMRS IOC to determine whether 

any of the software can be cost beneficially used or modified to meet those 

needs. As part of its final analysis, BLM plans to determine whether parts of 

ALMRS IOC could be useful for future information technology efforts. For 

example, an earlier independent technical contractor’s analysis showed 

that some parts of ALMRS IOC could be useful.

BLM has not developed a plan, schedule, or milestones for completing the 

analysis of ALMRS IOC and other alternatives. Developing such tools is 
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essential for BLM to effectively plan and manage this project and help 

ensure that its efforts will result in a timely and sound analysis of 

alternatives that will meet BLM’s business needs.

Investment 

Management Processes 

and Practices 

Assessed, Corrective 

Action Recently Begun 

The absence of adequate investment management processes and practices 

at BLM was a significant factor contributing to the failure of ALMRS IOC. 

To reduce the risk that future information technology efforts will fail and to 

help establish disciplined investment management as required by the 

Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996,4

 we recommended that the Secretary of the 

Interior ensure that BLM assess and strengthen its investment management 

practices to help avoid future problems, assess staff skills to meet agency 

IRM requirements, and develop an information technology architecture.5

BLM retained a contractor to assess its current IRM program−

methodologies, policies, strategies, and organizational structure−including 

the management of information technology investments. The assessment 

contractor reported in October 1999 on problems and deficiencies in 

27 areas including BLM’s investment planning, project selection, and 

review processes and organizational effectiveness. The contractor made 

over 90 recommendations to BLM to improve investment management and 

IRM functions, including finalizing and implementing its capital asset plan, 

updating its strategic IRM plan, and implementing procedures to establish 

consistent processes to select and manage information technology 

investment projects.

BLM has begun to strengthen its investment management processes and 

practices by addressing the assessment contractor’s recommendations and 

provisions of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996. For example, BLM’s CIO and 

chief financial officer have approved the bureau’s October 25, 1999, 

4

The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 seeks to maximize the return on investments in information 

systems by requiring agencies to institute sound capital investment decision-making. Under 

the act, agencies must design and implement a process for maximizing the value and 

assessing and managing the risks of information technology acquisitions.

5

An information technology architecture provides a comprehensive blueprint that 

systematically details the breadth and depth of an organization’s mission-based mode of 

operation. An architecture provides details first in logical terms, such as defining business 

functions, providing high-level descriptions of information systems and their 

interrelationships, and specifying information flows; and second in technical terms such as 

specifying hardware, software, data, communications, security, and performance 

characteristics.
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information technology capital asset plan which outlines capital planning 

procedures for major information technology acquisitions. The plan 

specifies the relationship between BLM’s information technology assets 

and the program performance goals identified in its strategic business plan. 

According to BLM, the capital asset plan is expected to help ensure that 

BLM’s information technology assets are adequately managed and 

associated risks are identified and controlled.

BLM is also revising its strategic IRM plan and expects to complete these 

revisions by March 30, 2000. According to BLM’s IRM Policy Group 

Manager, the bureau is planning to add a section on organizational 

effectiveness to its IRM plan to closely link it to BLM’s strategic business 

plan.

GAO and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance offer agencies 

an integrated approach to managing information technology investments 

that provides for the continuous identification, selection, control, 

management, and evaluation of information technology investments, as 

mandated by the Congress.6

 BLM is beginning to establish processes, 

policies, and procedures to more effectively select, control, and evaluate its 

information systems and technology projects. For example, on January 20, 

2000, the bureau formalized the charter for its Information Technology 

Investment Board to expand the board’s roles and responsibilities and help 

improve the selection, control, and evaluation of information technology 

investments. The new charter specifies that the board is responsible for 

decisions regarding the initiation, development, implementation, and 

evaluation of major information technology investments. The charter also 

outlines the functions of the board, including (1) developing an information 

technology architecture, (2) selecting information technology investments, 

(3) controlling and managing information technology activities, and 

(4) evaluating information technology investments.

BLM is also assessing its current information technology staffing and future 

skills needs. The assessment covers BLM’s entire IRM organization and 

uses human resources teams to interview staff, perform skills and process 

assessments, and document position descriptions. BLM’s CIO told us that 

6

Assessing Risks and Returns: A Guide for Evaluating Federal Agencies’ IT Investment 

Decision-making (GAO/AIMD-10.1.13, February 1997), and Evaluating Information 

Technology Investments: A Practical Guide, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 

Information Policy and Technology Branch, Office of Management and Budget 

(November 1, 1995).
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the assessment teams plan to make recommendations in January 2000 to 

enhance and restructure the national information technology office. 

Recommendations to enhance or restructure the field information 

technology offices are expected after the assessments of those offices are 

completed.

Finally, BLM, with the assistance of an independent contractor, is 

developing the planned bureauwide architecture. In November 1999 BLM 

decided to merge and manage its existing architecture projects into one 

bureauwide architecture effort. On December 17, 1999, BLM approved a 

single architecture team charter which outlines the purpose, methodology, 

organization, and project plan for the bureauwide architecture effort. 

According to BLM, the bureauwide architecture will be comprised of two 

sub-architectures−the business architecture and the information 

technology architecture. Development of the bureauwide architecture is 

being driven by the bureau’s business goals and processes and is a joint 

project with both program and technical staff that is expected to address 

every type of work BLM performs. BLM also expects that the architecture 

will support business process reengineering prior to automation efforts. By 

March 31, 2000, BLM expects to complete (1) documentation of the 

business architecture and BLM’s business processes, (2) a framework for 

its future architecture, and (3) a set of architectural criteria for evaluating 

new information technology project and investment proposals.

BLM’s investment management improvement actions are being carried out 

as separate projects and are not yet integrated to help ensure that they will 

result in an effective, data-driven investment management process to 

support BLM’s needs. Also, BLM has not yet finalized a plan, schedule, and 

milestones for completing its work to improve its investment management 

processes and practices. Such tools are essential to help ensure that these 

projects are adequately planned and managed and result in an effective 

investment management program at BLM. However, based on discussions 

at the conclusion of our review, BLM’s CIO told us that the bureau is now 

planning to hire a contractor to assist in integrating its investment 

management projects. BLM has not yet determined when the contractor 

will begin work. Also, based on our discussions, BLM is now beginning to 

develop an overall plan, schedule, and milestones for completing its 

investment management improvement work. 
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Systems Acquisition 

Capabilities Assessed, 

Corrective Action 

Recently Begun

As stated in our March 4, 1999, testimony, BLM did not develop several key 

management controls for the ALMRS IOC project, including a credible 

project schedule and adequate transition plans. In addition, the lack of a 

configuration management program, security plan and architecture, and 

operations and maintenance plans further increased BLM’s risks. To reduce 

the risk that future information technology efforts would fail, we 

recommended that the Secretary of the Interior ensure that BLM obtain an 

independent assessment of its systems acquisition capabilities, and ensure 

that it uses sound systems acquisition processes.

BLM subsequently obtained a high-level independent assessment of its 

systems acquisition capabilities that was based on the Software 

Engineering Institute’s (SEI) Software and Software Acquisition Capability 

Maturity Models (CMM)SM.

7

 BLM’s software acquisition processes were 

found to be immature−level 1. According to SEI, characteristics of a level 1 

organization include the (1) lack of a stable environment for developing 

and maintaining software, (2) over-commitment of staff and resources, and 

(3) abandonment of planned procedures when executing projects. 

Research by SEI has shown that defined and repeatable processes for 

managing software acquisitions are critical to an organization’s ability to 

consistently deliver high-quality information systems on time and within 

budget. The critical management process areas, designated by SEI as 

necessary to reach CMM level 28

 include (1) software acquisition planning, 

(2) requirements development and management, (3) project management, 

(4) contract tracking and oversight, (5) evaluation, and (6) transition to 

support.

According to BLM’s CIO, the bureau is now beginning to strengthen its 

systems acquisition processes and practices and is planning to make the 

improvements needed to move from a level 1 to a level 2 organization 

within the next 12 to 18 months. BLM has also drafted an interim 

acquisition policy to guide the acquisition of information technology. It 

plans to complete and implement formal acquisition policies and processes 

once the bureauwide architecture is established.

7

Capability Maturity ModelSM is the service trademark of Carnegie Mellon University, and 

CMM® is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

8

Level 2 organizations are defined as having basic project management processes to track 

cost, schedule, and functionality, with the necessary process discipline in place to repeat 

earlier successes on projects with similar applications.
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BLM’s systems acquisition improvement efforts have not yet been 

integrated with its investment management efforts to ensure that they are 

brought together as part of a comprehensive IRM program that supports 

the business and information technology needs of the bureau. Also, BLM 

has not yet developed an overall plan, schedule, or milestones for 

completing the actions to improve its systems acquisition capabilities. Such 

tools are essential for BLM to adequately plan and manage these efforts in a 

timely manner to help ensure that any future systems acquisition efforts 

will result in systems that meet BLM’s needs. Based on discussions at the 

conclusion of our review, BLM’s Deputy CIO told us that the bureau is 

planning to integrate these efforts, but had not yet established a time frame 

for completing the integration. BLM’s CIO added that, based on our work, 

the bureau has begun to develop an overall plan, schedule, and milestones 

to address this and our other recommendations. 

BLM Has Temporarily 

Suspended Sizable 

Information 

Technology 

Investments

Because of the information technology investment management and 

systems acquisition problems identified during the ALMRS/Modernization, 

we recommended that BLM not undertake any sizable systems acquisition 

or development efforts until the assessments we recommended were 

completed and corrective actions taken.

BLM has temporarily suspended all major systems acquisition and 

development projects, according to the bureau’s CIO. Based on our review 

of acquisition and contract documentation provided by BLM, the bureau is 

continuing work on several ongoing systems maintenance projects, as well 

as planning for a major system called the National Integrated Land System 

(NILS). NILS is being planned as a joint project with the United States 

Forest Service to develop a common data model and tools in a geographic 

information system environment for managing cadastral and land record 

data. BLM’s CIO said that although planning continues, the bureau does not 

plan to begin development of NILS until after the bureauwide architecture 

is complete and its business needs have been documented.

Conclusions BLM is acting to address our recommendation to thoroughly analyze 

ALMRS IOC and identify and assess all alternatives. Because its work is 

still underway, we cannot yet determine whether these actions will be fully 

responsive to our recommendations or result in an adequate assessment of 

ALMRS IOC and other alternatives to meet BLM’s business needs. We 

believe it is prudent for BLM to reach final conclusions about the 
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usefulness of ALMRS IOC after its architecture is substantially completed 

and its business needs are known.

BLM is also addressing our recommendations to assess and strengthen its 

investment management processes and practices and to use sound systems 

acquisition practices. These corrective actions, still in the early stages, are 

important to help BLM avoid future problems and failures similar to 

ALMRS IOC. Consequently, we cannot yet determine whether these actions 

will be fully responsive to our recommendations or result in an effective 

investment management program or sound systems acquisition capabilities 

at BLM.

Also, BLM’s investment management and systems acquisition efforts have 

thus far not been integrated. As a result of our work, the CIO stated that the 

bureau is now planning to integrate these efforts. Until the integration is 

completed, BLM cannot assure that its efforts will form a comprehensive 

IRM program that can help support the continuous identification, selection, 

control, life-cycle management, and evaluation of information technology 

investments.

BLM has also not completed a project plan, schedule, and milestones for 

completing its actions to address our recommendations. BLM’s CIO told us 

that, as a result of our work, the bureau has begun to develop an overall 

plan, schedule, and milestones for completing these actions. Until that plan 

is completed, BLM cannot document the expected results of its overall 

effort or provide accurate estimates for when its actions will be completed. 

Finally, the CIO’s efforts to establish integrated investment management 

and systems acquisition processes and practices are important and 

challenging and will require the full support of BLM’s senior management 

team.

Recommendations We recommend that the Secretary of the Interior direct BLM to take the 

following actions to help it strengthen its investment management and 

systems acquisition processes:

• Develop a comprehensive and integrated information technology 

investment management program as defined by the Clinger-Cohen Act 

by completing the integration of BLM’s projects to strengthen its 

investment management and systems acquisition processes and 

practices.
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• Complete the development of an overall project plan, schedule, and 

milestones for actions to strengthen its investment management 

processes and practices and systems acquisition capabilities.

Agency Comments The Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management stated 

that the Department of the Interior concurs with our recommendations and 

has been taking action to implement them. These actions include the 

bureau’s efforts to (1) strengthen its software acquisition capabilities, 

(2) review, focus, and restructure the IRM organization, (3) restructure the 

Information Technology Investment Board and strengthen the investment 

management process, (4) establish a program management office to 

provide disciplined information technology project screening and support 

project development, and (5) deploy a system to improve service delivery 

and strengthen the management of the information technology 

infrastructure. Most of these actions are discussed earlier in this report and 

represent important efforts to help BLM strengthen its information 

technology program.

We are sending copies of this report to Senator Slade Gorton, Chairman, 

and Senator Robert C. Byrd, Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on 

Interior, Senate Committee on Appropriations. We are also sending copies 

of this report to The Honorable Jacob J. Lew, Director, Office of 

Management and Budget; The Honorable Bruce Babbitt, Secretary of the 

Interior; and Mr. Tom Fry, Acting Director, Bureau of Land Management. 

Copies will also be made available to others upon request.

Should you or your staff have any questions concerning this report, please 

contact me at (202) 512-6253. I can also be reached by e-mail at 
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willemssenj.aimd@gao.gov. Major contributors to this report are listed in 

appendix III.

Joel C. Willemssen

Director, Civil Agencies Information Systems
Page 16 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements

Appendix I

Objectives, Scope, and Methodology ApendxiI

As requested by the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, 

Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, our objectives 

were to determine whether BLM has (1) adequately assessed the usability 

of the ALMRS IOC and alternatives to meet business needs, (2) adequately 

assessed and strengthened its investment management processes and 

practices, (3) obtained an independent assessment of its systems 

acquisition capabilities and strengthened its systems acquisition processes, 

and (4) made or is making sizable investments prior to strengthening its 

investment management and systems acquisition processes.

To meet our first objective, we analyzed BLM’s technical and functional 

analysis of ALMRS IOC as well as the supporting documentation and 

reports. We also interviewed bureau officials to determine BLM’s plans to 

conduct further analyses. 

To meet our second objective, we reviewed the independent analysis of 

BLM’s IRM practices and interviewed assessment contractor officials. We 

also interviewed contractor officials responsible for developing BLM’s 

bureauwide architecture and reviewed documentation of ongoing work. 

We reviewed documentation and analyses of BLM’s information technology 

management processes, practices, and improvement efforts and compared 

this information with OMB and our investment management guidance and 

with requirements in the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996. We interviewed BLM 

officials to identify the bureau’s planned and ongoing actions to strengthen 

its investment management processes and practices.

To meet our third objective, we reviewed the independent assessment of 

BLM’s systems acquisition capabilities and practices and compared it to 

criteria developed by SEI. We interviewed the assessment contractor to 

identify and discuss the assessment methodology used and interviewed 

bureau officials to determine what actions BLM plans to take to strengthen 

its systems acquisition processes.

To address our final objective, we interviewed bureau officials and 

reviewed documentation of BLM’s information technology contracts 

provided by BLM to determine whether BLM has made sizable systems 

investments prior to strengthening its information technology investment 

management and acquisition processes and practices.

We performed our work at BLM and Department of the Interior 

headquarters in Washington, D.C., and BLM’s National Information 

Resources Management Center headquarters in Denver, Colorado. We 
Appendix I

Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

Page 17 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements

requested and received comments on a draft of our report from the 

Department of the Interior and incorporated those comments as 

appropriate. We performed our work from July 1999 through January 2000 

in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
Page 18 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements

Appendix II

Comments From the Department of the 

Interior ApendxiI
Appendix II

Comments From the Department of the 

Interior

Page 19 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements
Appendix II

Comments From the Department of the 

Interior

Page 20 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements
Page 21 GAO/AIMD-00-67 BLM’s Information Technology Improvements

Appendix III

GAO Contact and Staff Acknowledgements ApendxiI

GAO Contact David G. Gill (202) 512-6250

Acknowledgements In addition to the individual named above, Mirko J. Dolak, Phoebe Furey, 

Elizabeth A. Roach, and E. Randolph Tekeley made key contributions to 

this report.

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