In an effort to streamline and reduce the cost of information technology operations, the Forest Service centralized IT in the early 2000s, but the resulting self-service approach at field units led to IT trouble-shooting decentralization, according to a Government Accountability Office report (.pdf) published Aug. 25.

"Now all employees are expected to have the knowledge or expertise to carry out those specific self-service tasks themselves," write report authors.

The report says IT centralization has had "widespread, largely negative effects." Rather than rely on a local field unit-based technician to assist with computer problems, workers are now expected to seek self-help tools, says the report.

"Because staff might do such tasks infrequently, and because the processes or procedures for carrying them out may change often, field unit employees told us they must spend time relearning how to perform certain tasks every time they carry them out," write report authors.

What's more, centralized IT systems are not user-friendly, finds the report. Field-unit employees repeatedly told auditors that help desk interaction is time consuming. Not only did help-desk support take hours and even days for a response, workers often must speak with two or three agents. Workers also reported a lack of understanding and context on the part of the help desk customer service agents and employees said they had little confidence in the information help desk agents provide.

As a result, many field unit workers ignore computer problems for extended periods. This has led to less time for mission work, increased reliance on workarounds, increased frustration and low morale and increased safety concerns--especially in the case of radio equipment problems.

IT centralization has allowed the Forest Service to more easily track equipment and address infrastructure issues holistically, but the primary goal of cost savings remains unrealized. "The Forest Service could not reliably demonstrate cost savings resulting from centralization," finds the audit. "Achieving significant cost savings was one of the key goals of the agency's centralization effort."

For more:
- see GAO-11-769 (.pdf)  

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