ADP Modernization

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Tax System Redesign, focusing on the: (1) redesign's plans and initiatives; and (2) oversight agencies' comments and concerns.

GAO found that IRS: (1) initiated the redesign in 1982 to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its automatic data processing systems for tax administration; (2) pursued four different conceptual redesign approaches, three of which did not proceed beyond the conceptual phase; (3) initiated the groundwork for planning, analyzing, and managing its current redesign approach, which depends on agency staff and outside technical assistance; (4) assigned program responsibility to its Assistant Commissioner for Information Systems Development; (5) incorporated three automation levels, consisting of large corporate, departmental, and specific local office databases, in its redesign effort; (6) expected to completely implement its interim architecture phase to reduce paper-based manual functions and provide on-line inquiry access to master files, by 1994; and (7) expected to completely implement its target architecture phase and install a telecommunications network and on-line update access to master files, by 1998. GAO also found that the Department of the Treasury, General Services Administration, and Office of Management and Budget: (1) generally supported the redesign plan; and (2) have expressed concerns regarding the complexity of designing, procuring, and integrating such a large program.