Modernizing DHS border enforcement systems may cost more than $1.5 billion

Regarding ICE’s $818 million TECS Mod program, the agency is redesigning and replanning its program, having determined in June 2013 that its initial solution was not viable and could not support ICE’s needs. As a result, ICE halted development and is now assessing design alternatives and will revise its schedule and cost estimates. Program officials stated the revisions will be complete in December 2013. GAO reports says, though, that until ICE completes the replanning effort, it is unclear what functionality it will deliver, when it will deliver it, or what it will cost to do so, thus putting it in jeopardy of not completing the modernization by its 2015 deadline.

GAO says that CBP and ICE have managed many risks in accordance with some leading practices, but they have had mixed results in managing requirements for their programs. In particular, neither program identified all known risks and escalated them for timely management review. Further, CBP’s guidance defines key practices associated with effectively managing requirements, but important requirements development activities were underway before these practices were established.

ICE, meanwhile, operated without requirements management guidance for years, and its requirements activities were mismanaged as a result. For example, ICE did not complete work on 2,600 requirements in its initial release, which caused testing failures and the deferral and deletion of about 70 percent of its original requirements. ICE issued requirements guidance in March 2013 that is consistent with leading practices, but it has not yet been implemented.

GAO notes that DHS’s governance bodies have taken actions to oversee the two TECS Mod programs that are generally aligned with leading practices. Specifically, DHS’s governance bodies have monitored TECS Mod performance and progress and have ensured that corrective actions have been identified and tracked.

The governance bodies’ oversight, however, has been based on sometimes incomplete or inaccurate data, and therefore the effectiveness of these efforts is limited. For example, one oversight body rated CBP’s program as moderately low risk, based partially on the program’s use of earned value management, even though program officials stated that neither they nor their contractor had this capability. Until these governance bodies base their performance reviews on timely, complete, and accurate data, they will be constrained in their ability to effectively provide oversight.

GAO is recommending DHS improve its efforts to manage requirement and risk, as well as its governance of the TECS Mod programs. GAO notes that DHS agreed with all but one of GAO’s eight recommendations, and described actions planned and underway to address them.

— Read more in Border Security: DHS’s Efforts to Modernize Key Enforcement Systems Could be Strengthened (GAO, December 2013)