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Administrative Systems: NASA Should Reassess Its AIM Program and Rescind Its IBM-Compatible Policy

IMTEC-90-41 Published: May 01, 1990. Publicly Released: May 08, 1990.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) automatic data processing (ADP) procurement practices.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Aeronautics and Space Administration To ensure that NASA AIM systems are implemented in the most cost-effective manner for meeting its needs, the Administrator, NASA, should direct NASA to determine the most cost-effective approach, including the number of locations and the hardware architecture for operating AIM systems, by conducting a comparative cost analysis of the various alternatives.
Closed – Implemented
NASA decided to continue with a decentralized approach to processing AIM systems. The agency did not analyze the cost and benefit of a centralized approach.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration To ensure that NASA AIM systems are implemented in the most cost-effective manner for meeting its needs, the Administrator, NASA, should direct NASA to implement the best approach, given the results of the analysis, which may result in using either an International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)-compatible or a non-IBM-compatible architecture to process AIM at a centralized location, continue AIM on a decentralized basis at each center, or a combination of those approaches.
Closed – Implemented
NASA decided to continue with a decentralized approach to processing AIM systems.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration The Administrator, NASA, should rescind the policy requiring IBM-compatible hardware for all agency administrative systems.
Closed – Implemented
NASA has rescinded the policy.

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Topics

IT acquisitionsComputer equipment contractsComputer equipment managementSoftwareCost effectiveness analysisDecentralizationFederal procurement policyInformation resources managementProcurement practicesSystems compatibilityDeductibles and Coinsurance