The Federal Bureau of Investigation's
Management of the Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Project

Audit Report No. 05-07
February 2005
Office of the Inspector General

Appendix 1

Objectives, Scope, and Methodology


Objectives

The primary objectives of the audit were to determine: 1) the progress made toward achieving the Trilogy project’s schedule, cost, technical, and performance baselines; and 2) the extent to which Trilogy will meet the FBI’s overall current and longer-term IT requirements.

Scope and Methodology

The audit was performed in accordance with Government Auditing Standards, and included tests and procedures necessary to accomplish the audit objectives. We conducted work at FBI Headquarters and the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and at FEDSIM and a contractor’s facility in suburban Virginia.

We interviewed officials from the FBI, the Department, and the GAO. The FBI officials interviewed were from the Director’s office, Office of the CIO, Information Resources Division, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Inspection Division, and Finance Division. Additionally, we reviewed documents related to the Trilogy project, budget documentation, organizational structures, congressional testimony, and prior GAO and OIG reports.

To determine whether the FBI is making progress toward achieving the Trilogy project’s schedule, cost, performance, and technical baselines, we examined the methodologies the FBI used to complete established baselines. We did this by reviewing completed phases of the project and the processes used. For baselines not fully achieved, we examined the steps being taken by the FBI to achieve the baselines. We did not audit the FBI’s statements of project costs.

To determine the extent to which Trilogy will meet the FBI’s overall current and longer-term IT requirements, we examined the current status of the Trilogy project, particularly the completion of the infrastructure components and the continuing lack of an effective case management system, as well as the future vision of the FBI’s IT end-state as described by the FBI’s CIO.