Summary: GAO summarized the status of Veterans Administration (VA) actions in response to GAO recommendations in three reports on its information systems and information resources management activities.
GAO found that: (1) VA strengthened controls over the software development process, conducted risk analysis and contingency planning to improve security, and issued guidelines restricting release of sensitive software data; (2) VA had not improved some software to allow for efficient user access to patient data; (3) although VA took actions to develop a system utilization and capacity management program, the actions were not responsive to regulatory intent that VA use the system data to determine its hardware needs, rather than rely on automated model results; (4) VA entered into an interagency agreement to provide a variety of computer capacity management studies and tools, at a cost of $748,000; (5) VA completed cost-benefit analyses of alternatives for 10 of its 13 proposed interim projects pending implementation of its modernization program; (6) VA initiated actions to identify opportunities for data exchanges among agency information systems and established a goal of reducing redundant software; (7) VA reassessed its telecommunications needs; and (8) VA explored cost savings through centralized training activities.
