Integrated Financial and Acquisition Management System Interface Development Process Needs Improvement

Report Information

Issue Date
Report Number
24-00645-84
VA Office
Office of Management (OM)
Report Author
Office of Audits and Evaluations
Report Type
Audit
Report Topic
Information Technology and Security
Major Management Challenges
Information Systems and Innovation
Leadership and Governance
Recommendations
4
Questioned Costs
$0
Better Use of Funds
$0
Congressionally Mandated
No

Summary

Summary

After previous failed attempts, VA is modernizing its finance and acquisition systems by implementing the Integrated Financial and Acquisition Management System (iFAMS). The system is being deployed by the Financial Management Business Transformation Service (FMBTS) in waves across VA. The six waves that had been carried out as of June 2023 represent only about 3.6 percent of all projected iFAMS users. One remaining wave is for the Veterans Health Administration, which represents more than 92 percent of iFAMS users. As of fiscal year 2024, the life cycle cost estimate to deploy and sustain the system across VA is anticipated to be about $8.6 billion through 2050.

Interfaces, which are created and tested during the iFAMS software development process, facilitate the flow of data between systems to automatically complete business processes. Therefore, interface development is critical for iFAMS to meet users’ needs. The VA OIG conducted this audit to assess whether the interface development process aligned with stated goals to enhance iFAMS implementation. The OIG examined FMBTS’s planning, communication, and monitoring of success metrics for the process. This audit focuses on the Consolidated Wave Stack, the first wave that deployed both finance and acquisition functions simultaneously.

The OIG found that during the Consolidated Wave Stack, validation sessions lacked essential details and FMBTS missed opportunities to fully confirm the system functioned properly. If functionality issues are not identified or corrected before deployment, user productivity and efficiency can decrease while the risk of errors increases. Consequently, FMBTS should test essential functions for both real-world application and technical assessment moving forward. The OIG made four recommendations for FMBTS to improve the interface development process for future implementation waves.

Open Recommendation Image, SquareOpenClosed and Implemented Recommendation Image, CheckmarkClosed-ImplementedNot Implemented Recommendation Image, X character'Closed-Not Implemented
No. 1
Open Recommendation Image, Square
to Office of Management (OM)

Incorporate all business-essential processes and related interfaces, as defined by product owners, during validation sessions, user acceptance testing, or equivalent procedures to accurately present system capability.

No. 2
Open Recommendation Image, Square
to Office of Management (OM)

Enhance the test plan to incorporate a more robust, risk-based testing process that incorporates user-testing requirements for functional and nonfunctional business-essential processes related to interfaces.

No. 3
Open Recommendation Image, Square
to Office of Management (OM)

Develop a process to confirm with affected administrative offices whether they are aware of needed changes to test environments and that they have sufficiently executed them before interface test events.

No. 4
Open Recommendation Image, Square
to Office of Management (OM)

Develop a method to evaluate whether test deficiencies necessitate changes to the deployment schedule to ensure deficiencies are properly addressed before wave go-live and implement these changes.