Summary: GAO reviewed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) computer capacity management program to assess the effectiveness of SSA: (1) management of existing computer resources; and (2) planning for future resource needs.
GAO found that SSA did not have an effective capacity management program, since it did not: (1) systematically collect and analyze sufficiently detailed data on planned work loads to ensure effective capacity planning; (2) effectively model its requirements to accurately predict computer capacity needs; and (3) use pilot testing to evaluate how various components operated together and to assess component traffic patterns. GAO also found that: (1) SSA formed a review team and had two contractors perform independent assessments of its capacity management program; (2) although the evaluations reported that the capacity management process produced some valuable and directly useful information, they raised questions about SSA ability to determine its current and future computer capacity requirements; and (3) although SSA has implemented some of the recommended actions, it cannot effectively ensure future computer acquisitions until it improves its capacity management program.
