Managing Technology Change

The United States Senate, as it increases its use of information technology, is in an excellent position to profit from the experiences of organizations that have used computers and automation to improve their operations. This testimony, which draws on many years of GAO work on information resources management issues, makes three main points. First, although the Senate is a unique institution, it is similar enough to private and public sector organizations to make learning from their experiences useful. Second, information technology offers many opportunities for the Senate and the entire legislative branch to improve its services to constituents, its accessibility to the public, its legislative processes and decisionmaking, and its committee and public operations. Legislatures around the world are using information technology to improve these same areas. Third, GAO's analysis of successful public and private organizations underscores the need for key management practices that can spell the difference between success and failure in using information technology to improve performance. The key is to develop the organizational strategy and support needed to harness the power of information technology and avoid the costly mistakes that others have made.