NCJ Number
202168
Date Published
September 2003
Length
104 pages
Annotation
This document evaluates the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) program.
Abstract
The goals of the program are to facilitate legitimate trade and travel, enhance national security, and adhere to United States privacy laws and policies. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) developed and submitted for approval an expenditure plan for US-VISIT that satisfied certain conditions, including being reviewed by the General Accounting Office (GAO). GAO determined whether the plan satisfied these conditions and provided observations about the plan and the management of the program. GAO found that the DHS’s fiscal year 2003 US-VISIT expenditure plan partially satisfied the conditions imposed by Congress, which included meeting the capital planning and investment control review requirements of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). DHS has not yet established a date and plan for developing life cycle costs and a cost/benefit analysis that covers return on investment. GAO identified 10 factors affecting US-VISIT and concluded that the program is a very risky endeavor. Some of these factors were mission value of first increment is currently unknown; near-term facilities solutions pose challenges; operational context is unsettled; and program management capability is not implemented. Other factors were mission is critical; governance structure is not established; scope is large and complex; milestones are challenging; potential cost is significant; and existing systems have known problems. GAO recommended establishing an executive body to guide and direct the program, be held accountable for the program’s progress and outcomes, and address key program issues and make associated decisions, and taking steps to establish an effective program management capability. Report to Congressional Committees, 2 appendices