Year 2000 Computing Challenge

Although the Year 2000 (Y2K) crisis is over, it led to the development of initiatives, processes, methodologies, and experiences that can help resolve ongoing management challenges. First, Y2K underscored the value of sustained and effective bipartisan oversight by the Senate and the House of Representatives. Second, leadership, commitment, and coordination by the federal government, including periodic reporting and oversight of agency efforts, were major reasons for the government's Y2K success. Third, the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion and individual agencies formed working partnerships with other agencies, states, other countries, and the private sector. Fourth, communication within agencies, with partners, and with the public was vital to coordinating efforts and ensuring an appropriate public response. Finally, the federal government implemented initiatives that helped ensure that necessary staff and financial resources would be available to agencies. Specific management practices that contributed to Y2K success included top- level management attention, risk analysis, project management, development of complete information systems inventories and strengthened configuration management, independent reviews by internal auditors and independent contractors, improved testing methods and procedures, and business continuity and contingency planning. The priority both the legislative and executive branches gave to the Y2K challenge and the persistence they both showed were crucial to its successful outcome.

GAO noted that: (1) the year 2000 challenge was met through the collaborative efforts of Congress, the administration, federal agencies, state and local governments, and the private sector; (2) had any of these sectors failed to take the year 2000 problem seriously, neglected to remediate computer systems, or failed to work together with partners on common issues, such as contingency planning, critical services could have been disrupted; (3) although the year 2000 crisis was finite, it led to the development of initiatives, processes, methodologies, and experiences that can assist in resolving ongoing management challenges; (4) year 2000 demonstrated the value of sustained and effective bipartisan oversight by both the Senate and the House of Representatives; (5) leadership, commitment, and coordination by the federal government, which included periodic reporting and oversight of agency efforts, were major reasons for the government's year 2000 success; (6) the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion and individual agencies formed working partnerships with other agencies, states, other countries, and the private sector; (7) communication within agencies, with partners, and with the public was vital to coordinating efforts and ensuring an appropriate public response; (8) the federal government implemented initiatives that helped ensure that necessary staff and financial resources would be available to agencies; (9) individual agencies also gleaned lessons form their year 2000 efforts that can be carried forward; (10) specific management practices that contributed to year 2000 success included top-level management attention, risk analysis, project management, development of complete information systems inventories and strengthened configuration management, independent reviews by internal auditors and independent contractors, improved testing methods and procedures, and business continuity and contingency planning; and (11) by continuing and strengthening these practices in the future, federal agencies are more likely to improve their overall IT management record, particularly in the areas of critical infrastructure protection and security, the effective use of technology, and large-scale IT investments.

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.

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