Editor’s Note: The USDA Office of Inspector General Audit Report, “Audit of the Office of the Chief Information Officer’s FYs 2010 and 2011 Funding Received for Security Enhancements” (Report No. 88401-0001-12) is attached here. The report includes USDA’s complete response. Below is a summary of the recommendations.
Recommendation 1 – Document the prioritization of projects Department-wide to ensure the most critical projects have a higher precedence than other, non-critical projects.
Recommendation 2 – Designate sufficient resources to adequately configure and monitor the security sensor array in order to defend USDA’s information system against external and internal threats.
Recommendation 3 – Develop detailed internal control procedures for project management that include the requirement to specify and document project milestones, accurately allocate and track project costs, develop project timelines, and establish project-specific roles and responsibilities.
Recommendation 4 – Strengthen communication and coordination between OCIO management, project managers (CAM), and contractors, allowing the different parties to work collaboratively and effectively.
Leave a Reply