Nuclear Weapons: DOE Needs to Improve Oversight of the $5 Billion Strategic Computing Initiative
RCED-99-195
Published: Jun 28, 1999. Publicly Released: Jun 28, 1999.
Skip to Highlights
Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the status of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI), focusing on: (1) whether the program is meeting its key milestones and whether hardware and software developments are adequate to date; (2) whether the program is within its projected budget; and (3) what key technical risks the program faces.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Energy | Given the ASCI program's lack of a comprehensive planning, tracking, and reporting system and the importance of the program to maintaining the stockpile of nuclear weapons, it is important that DOE improve its oversight and management of the program. Therefore, the Secretary of Energy should require establishment of a comprehensive planning, tracking, and reporting system. This system should, at a minimum, establish clear milestones; identify links between short- and long-term milestones; identify research strategies, critical paths, and decision points; define performance criteria for the successful completion of milestones; and establish progress tracking and reporting requirements. |
Closed – Implemented
DOE agreed with this recommendation and took action to: (1) specify the criteria for all critical milestones; (2) develop an annual implementation with task descriptions and program milestones; and (3) instituted a quarterly progress reporting system.
|
| Department of Energy | The Secretary of Energy should designate the ASCI program as a strategic system warranting oversight at the highest departmental level. |
Closed – Implemented
DOE disagreed with this recommendation and does not plan to take action.
|
| Department of Energy | Given the substantial increases in the ASCI program's cost estimates to date, DOE's acknowledged problem in estimating costs for the unprecedented scale of development efforts involved in the ASCI program, and the lack of a cost-tracking process, it is important that DOE improve its oversight of ASCI program costs. Therefore, the Secretary of Energy should require that ASCI adopt systematic cost-tracking procedures that will allow DOE managers to determine if specific projects are within budget. |
Closed – Implemented
DOE disagreed with this recommendation. DOE believes that its existing cost tracking system is appropriate and that a research and development program like the strategic computing initiative requires some budget flexibility.
|
Full Report
Office of Public Affairs
Topics
IT acquisitionsComputer modelingSoftwareCost analysisFuture budget projectionsInformation resources managementManagement information systemsNuclear weapons testingStrategic information systems planningWeapons research and development