Department of Agriculture

Restructuring Will Impact Farm Service Agencies' Automation Plans and Programs Gao ID: T-IMTEC-92-22 July 30, 1992

Given possibly drastic streamlining of the field structure at the Department of Agriculture (USDA), a planned $2 billion computer upgrade at USDA's farm service agencies is a high-stakes gamble that could prove costly should the technology be unable to accommodate the agency's new approach to doing business. In a related matter, GAO recommends that USDA ensure that farm service agencies begin integrating their databases. USDA must also continue to establish common data definitions for the farm service agencies to use in developing information systems. Without coordinated information technology plans and common definitions, USDA cannot be sure that its information technology modernization efforts will meet its crosscutting needs into the 21st century.



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