April 15, 2014

The Department of Energy’s Management and Use of Mobile Computing Devices and Services

Mobile computing devices are routinely used in the Federal Government to facilitate internal and external communications, collaborations and operations.  Agencies are encouraged to assess device inventories and usage, and establish controls to ensure they are not paying for unused or underutilized information technology equipment, software or services.  A prior Office of Inspector General report identified weaknesses related to the acquisition and use of mobile or wireless communication devices within the Department of Energy (Department).

Our review determined that the Department had taken certain actions designed to improve the management and acquisition of mobile computing devices and services since our prior review.  Despite those efforts, we identified opportunities for the Department to improve the acquisition and management of mobile devices and related services and potentially save more than $2.3 million over a 3-year period at just 8 of 10 locations reviewed.

We made several recommendations that, if fully implemented, could help the Department manage its mobile device efforts in a cost-effective manner.  Furthermore, because our review did not cover all Department locations, we believe our estimated potential savings of $2.3 million over a 3-year period is conservative.

Topic: Management & Administration