VA urged to improve management of technology

Despite its progress in raising corporate awareness of departmental information technology needs, the Veterans Affairs Department has "significant work" to accomplish in order to use IT investments to improve overall performance, according to a General Accounting Office report released Wednesday.

A GAO official testified before a House subcommittee in March on VA's IT successes and failures. The GAO report, "Veterans Affairs: Sustained Management Attention is Key to Achieving Information Technology Results" (GAO-02-703), recommends that the VA chief information officer:

• Hire a full-time employee to oversee information security.
• Establish and staff a VA office to guide departmental e-government initiatives.
• Ensure that information security is included in that e-government plan.
• Ensure that all recommendations made by the Federal CIO Council are executed.
• Execute an effective computer-management program, including evaluating and monitoring computer controls.
• Develop a more effective process for tracking security performance.
• Regularly report to the VA secretary on information security.