Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

FBI OIG Audit of Yet Another Online Case Management System

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Pre-Acquisition Planning for and Controls over the Sentinel Case Management System, Audit Report 06-14, March 2006 (PDF)

  • “In March 2005, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) terminated a 3-year, $170 million effort to develop a modern case management system called the Virtual Case File (VCF) and announced a new project called Sentinel. As detailed in the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) February 2005 audit report on the FBI’s larger Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Project, the VCF project failed for a variety of reasons, including poorly defined design requirements, lack of mature Information Technology Investment Management (ITIM) processes, and poor management continuity and oversight. With Sentinel, the FBI is relying on improved management processes, use of commercially available components, and a four-phase approach over 39 to 48 months to develop a replacement for its obsolete Automated Case Support (ACS) system. As of February 2006, the FBI had not disclosed its specific cost estimates for Sentinel because the contract to a private information technology (IT) systems developer had not yet been awarded. However, in response to congressional inquiries, the FBI has cited a cost between $400-$500 million to develop the system. According to the FBI, a more precise cost estimate will be available once the FBI awards the Sentinel contract in calendar year 2006.”
  • Related postings on FBI’s case management system issues
  • Sorry, comments are closed for this post.