The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is relying on out-of-date and ineffective IT systems to carry out the vital task of managing radio-frequency spectrum use for the Federal government, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a new report released on March 19.
The Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act required NTIA to create a plan to modernize its spectrum management-related IT systems, but GAO said that the agency’s modernization plan is failing in certain areas – like setting reliable cost estimates and project timelines.
“NTIA has issued an initial high-level modernization plan, identified the IT systems to modernize, and placed a contract order for acquisition planning support,” the GAO report says. “Before proceeding to the next phase on design, NTIA has to complete a number of activities including finalizing a concept of operations, assessing alternatives, and developing project management plans.” ‘
GAO’s analysis of NTIA’s 2021 modernization plan found that its efforts aligned with several leading practices but did not align with practices on developing cost estimates, developing a project schedule, communicating with stakeholders, and establishing performance measures.
“NTIA officials acknowledged that additional work was needed to implement the practices and complete other required planning steps. Effectively doing so would position the agency to implement a successful modernization,” the 37-page report says.
Radio-frequency spectrum is vital to a variety of commercial and government activities – such as broadcast television, air traffic control, and wireless communications. NTIA uses multiple IT systems to manage how the Federal government uses spectrum.
The agency is working to modernize these IT systems – from establishing a team to lead the effort, starting market research, and identifying the IT systems it wants to upgrade.
To complete its IT modernization project planning efforts, GAO is recommending that NTIA develop a reliable cost estimate, develop an integrated project schedule, finalize its stakeholder management plan, and establish performance measures.
NTIA concurred with GAO’s four recommendations, noting that it has already begun work to complete these four goals within fiscal year 2024.
