The IT Law Wiki

Citation[]

General Accounting Office, Information Technology: Government-Wide Guidelines and Management Assistance Center Needed To Improve ADP Systems Development (AFMD-81-20) (Feb. 20, 1981) (full-text).

Overview[]

In more than 57 reports in the past 10 years, the GAO has identified management weaknesses in the design and development of large, complex Federal data processing systems. These systems:

  • were not cost effective
  • did not meet user needs
  • had prolonged development cycle and cost overruns, or
  • simply did not work.

The GAO suggests a framework of principles and procedures for managing systems development which could be the basis for issuing Government-wide guidelines. The earlier recommendation that a management assistance center for computer software and systems development be established was reiterated.