The Status of Enterprise Architecture and Information Technology
Investment Management in the Department of Justice

Audit Report 06-02
November 2005
Office of the Inspector General


Appendix 10
The DOJ's Response to the Draft Report


The text in this Appendix was prepared by the auditee and uncorrected by the OIG.


  U. S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C. 20530

OCT 20 2005


MEMORANDUM FOR GLENN A. FINE
INSPECTOR GENERAL
 
FROM: Vance E. Hitch
Chief Information Officer
 
SUBJECT: Office of Inspector General Draft Audit Report "The Status of Enterprise Architecture and Information Technology Investment Management in the Department of Justice"
 

This is in response to the Office of the Inspector General's (IG) request for comments on the draft Fiscal Year 2005 audit report of "The Status of Enterprise Architecture and Information Technology Investment Management in the Department of Justice."

My office has completed it's review of the draft report and has initiated corrective action to address the findings and recommendations identified. The Department is continuing to develop, refine, and implement its Information Technology Investment Management program and is continuing to develop its Enterprise Architecture program. In August 2005, a new Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Policy and Planning Staff was hired to oversee these programs.

As reflected throughout the IG’s Report, "The Department is in the early stages of developing an Enterprise Architecture." Building on our past work, we have initiated the establishment of an Enterprise Architecture Program Management Office. In September 2005, a Chief Enterprise Architect was hired to lead this effort.

Under the leadership of the new Deputy CIO for Policy and Planning and the Chief Enterprise Architect, the Department is taking the opportunity to expand and enhance the activities associated with these programs, with the goals of:

  1. Better leverage of established Government wide best practices and lessons learned;
  2. Increased levels of guidance and coordination with DOJ Component organizations; and
  3. Greater maturity with EA efforts, as assessed within the GAO’s EAMMF and OMB Effectiveness Assessment.

Below are the responses to the specific recommendations contained in the Report. If you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to contact Kent Holtgrewe on (202) 514-9682 or by email at kent.holtgrewe@usdoj.gov, or Kevin Deeley on (202) 353-2421 or by email at kevin.deeley@usdoj.gov.

Recommendation 1.

    Complete the Department wide Enterprise Architecture to insure that IT investments are not duplicative, are well integrated, are cost-effective, and support the Department's mission.

Concur. The EAPMO Program Management Plan scope will explicitly state that the Enterprise Architecture will be Department wide, fully leveraging as opposed to replacing, existing component Enterprise Architectures. The Program Management Plan shall also identify milestones towards its completion. The EAPMO Program Management Plan shall address this recommendation by the end of December 2006.

Recommendation 2.

    Provide Departmental Guidance to components for the development and maintenance of Enterprise Architectures consistent with the guidance provided by the Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework, the OMB, and the GAO.

Concur. The EAPMO Program Management Plan will provide for explicit mechanisms to coordinate with and provide guidance to Components for the development and maintenance of their Enterprise Architectures. The Program Management Plan will explicitly call for use of established Government wide best practices such as use of Federal Enterprise Architecture Framework, GAO’s EAMMF, and OMB’s EA Effectiveness Assessment. The EAPMO Program Management Plan shall address this recommendation by the end of December 2006.

Recommendation 3.

    Track and review the planning, development, completion, and updating of component -1eve1 Enterprise Architectures.

Concur. The EAPMO Program Management Plan will provide for explicit mechanisms for tracking and reviewing the planning, development, completion, and updating of component-level Enterprise Architectures. This shall be done in a way to leverage and complement, not replace, existing oversight activities. The EAPMO Program Management Plan shall address this recommendation by the end of December 2006.

Recommendation 4.

    Fully implement the phases outlined by the ITSM framework to ensure that all Department IT investments are covered by an ITIM process.

Concur. In FY05, the Department executed several ITSM processes from the first two phases of the framework, and received feedback from partners and participants. The Department is currently re-evaluating and updating the ITSM framework based on lessons learned. By the second quarter of FY06, the Department will complete the updates to the ITSM Framework, and a schedule to implement the remaining processes across all investments.

Recommendation 5.

    Ensure that Components requiring ITIM processes develop them.

Concur. The Department will define the need for Component ITIM processes based on criteria such as size, mission need, percent of enterprise investment dollars, etc. By the end of the third quarter of FY06, the Department will select Components deemed necessary to have their own ITIM process, will communicate this requirement to them, will develop and provide guidance documentation for implementation, and will implement a mechanism for measuring process maturity over time.

Recommendation 6.

    Provide assistance to Components in developing and implementing ITIM processes and providing value-added services.

Concur. By the end of the third quarter of FY06, the Department will establish a working committee with OCIO and Component representation, for the purpose of jointly working towards improving the ITIM process, and will also provide guidance documentation to help Components set up their own processes.

Recommendation 7.

    Establish a clear schedule for the completion of the ITSM Framework and the completion of a mature ITIM process.

Concur. The Department will develop a schedule by the end of January, 2006.



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