NCJ Number
65515
Date Published
1979
Length
64 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL STATES THAT THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS NEEDS MORE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF ITS COMPUTER RESOURCES TO IMPROVE PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS.
Abstract
GOOD PLANNING, MANAGEMENT, AND USE OF THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS (NBS) COMPUTER RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL ARE CRITICAL TO AGENCY MISSION AND PROGRAM OBJECTIVES. HOWEVER, NBS COMPUTER RESOURCES ARE NOT FULFILLING THE NEEDS OF MANY ADMINISTRATORS AND SCIENTISTS WHO DEPEND ON THESE RESOURCES TO ANALYZE DATA, CONTROL EXPERIMENTS, AND PROVIDE NEEDED INFORMATION. UNDER THE CURRENT ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE. RESPONSIBILITY IS DIFFUSED AMONG NUMEROUS ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS. LONG-TERM NEEDS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY AD HOC STUDIES ONLY WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE, WHILE MANAGERS OF THE CENTRAL COMPUTER FACILITY HAVE BEEN PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH SHORT-TERM FINANCIAL VIABILITY. MOREOVER, MANAGEMENT DOES NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO ASSESS THE PRODUCTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE AGENCY'S COMPUTER RESOURCES, AND FEW POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED. AN EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF COMPUTER RESOURCES IS NEEDED. SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD BE BASED ON FORMALLY STATED POLICIES AND MEASURABLE OBJECTIVES AND COULD INCLUDE A LONG-RANGE PLANNING PROCESS AND A COMPUTER PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. THE SYSTEM WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF A CENTRAL COMPUTER MANAGEMENT OFFICE, AND A STEERING COMMITTEE WOULD PERIODICALLY REVIEW THE SYSTEM TO ASSURE ITS EFFECTIVENESS. APPENDIXES CONTAIN PLANNING EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN BY NBS AND TWO LETTERS CONCERNING THE PROGRAM. ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS AND A TABLE OF APPLICABLE PUBLIC LAWS ARE INCLUDED. (MJW)