Year 2000 Computing Challenge

Readiness of USDA High-Impact Programs Improving, But More Action Is Needed Gao ID: AIMD-99-284 September 30, 1999

The lead agencies at the Agriculture Department have made progress in ensuring the Year 2000 readiness of high-impact programs--those critical to public safety and well-being, such as food stamps and food safety inspections. However, the Food and Nutrition Service and the Food Safety Inspection Service still have a long way to go within the limited time remaining to fully meet their high-impact program responsibilities. Moreover, much work remains because neither agency has defined the milestones for the following activities called for by the Office of Management and Budget: (1) completing complementary business continuity and contingency plans, (2) publicly demonstrating the Year 2000 readiness of programs, and (3) developing a plan to ensure that the programs will operate effectively.

GAO noted that: (1) although USDA's lead agencies have taken actions and made progress in ensuring the year 2000 readiness of high impact programs assigned to them, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service and USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) still have a long way to go within the limited time remaining to fully meet their high impact program responsibilities; (2) for example, the agencies have taken action to identify partners involved in delivering the high impact programs and to collect data on the year 2000 readiness of these partners; (3) however, when identifying partners, FSIS did not identify all federal agencies and foreign countries engaged in food safety; (4) therefore, the year 2000 readiness of the safety of the nation's food supply may not be assured, especially since the Food Safety Inspection program is the only program on the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) list of 43 that addresses food safety; and (5) moreover, much work remains because neither agency has defined the milestones for the following activities called for by OMB: (a) completing complementary business continuity and contingency plans; (b) publicly demonstrating the year 2000 readiness of programs; and (c) developing a plan to ensure the programs will operate effectively.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Team: Phone:


The Justia Government Accountability Office site republishes public reports retrieved from the U.S. GAO These reports should not be considered official, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Justia.