After more than two decades and at least $262 million spent, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) effort to modernize its human resources IT systems remains unfinished, a federal watchdog found, warning that the department needs better implementation to meet its goals.
After DHS was created in 2002, merging 22 agencies under the department, it initiated the human resources IT (HRIT) portfolio initiative in 2003 to consolidate and modernize DHS’s human resources IT infrastructure.
However, after more than two decades of failing to meet goals that have been continuously refined and redrafted, the department hasn’t met its modernization targets, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported on Sept. 4.
The report warns that without major changes, DHS will continue to face fragmented systems, higher costs, security risks, and inefficient workforce management.
“As of September 2024, [the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer] reported that the HRIT environment continued to be disparate, duplicative, inefficient and error prone,” the GAO report says. “Specifically, the office reported that DHS uses more than 80 disparate systems and tools throughout the employee lifecycle.”
“Officials reported that due to the complex HRIT portfolio, the department’s more than 260,000 employees continue to have multiple accounts, logins, and passwords,” it says, adding, “Officials reported that the portfolio creates redundant work for human resources practitioners and increases the risk of data errors.”
Since 2011, DHS has cycled through three sets of goals for modernizing its human resources IT systems – starting with 15 objectives, then narrowing to five strategic priorities, and now down to two draft goals focused on streamlining systems and improving data management – but progress has remained limited. The latest goals remain unfinalized as of April 2025.
Those shifts have left DHS without measurable benchmarks to track success or assure Congress that modernization funds are being effectively used, GAO reported, adding that the department has no cost data for 28 of 49 projects, “which prevents fully measuring portfolio performance.”
To address gaps in HRIT, GAO recommended that DHS establish a timeframe for updating and maintaining the HRIT; create a process for ensuring a complete inventory of HR systems used across DHS; develop a timeline and frequency for updating HRIT portfolio governance documents; update HRIT portfolio capabilities assessment; implement a plan for engaging portfolio stakeholders; and collect and measure complete project information from each DHS components’ HRIT projects.
The federal watchdog also recommended that DHS ensure that risks for HRIT projects are identified, as well as update its alternatives analysis to reflect current options and associated uncertainty to determine the best alternative for consolidating and modernizing DHS’s HR systems and processes.
GAO is also directing the chief human capital officer and chief information officer to renegotiate applicable agreements with other agency officials to obtain more access to security documentation.