ADP Budget

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) fiscal year (FY) 1990 information technology systems budget, focusing on whether SSA: (1) supported its data processing budget request with underlying documentation; and (2) would carry over into 1990 unobligated information systems funds appropriated for FY 1989.

GAO found that: (1) the SSA FY 1990 information systems budget request for $204 million provided $160.5 million to fund ongoing data processing and telephone operations and maintenance and $43.5 million to fund capital investment projects to enhance its information system; (2) SSA had documentation supporting its need for the 19 projects that comprised its $43.5-million funding requirement; (3) SSA should not have a carryover balance of unobligated information systems funds at the start of FY 1990, since Congress funded the SSA information system expenses on an annual basis that precluded the carryover of unobligated funds; (4) the need for additional computer capacity for FY 1990 through FY 1994 was expected to cost about $18.3 million more than projected in the FY 1990 budget request; and (5) SSA had not completed its analysis of additional computer capacity costs for FY 1991 through FY 1994.