After missing the first two initial planned deployments for its new biometric-based identity management system, the Department of Homeland Security office responsible for the Homeland Advanced Recognition Technology (HART) system is getting closer to achieving initial operating capability (IOC).
“OBIM is continuing to work with the system integrator to update the HART program schedule,” the Office of Biometric Identity Management tells HSR. “As we do this, we remain committed to the delivery of biometric identity services that meet our customers’ current and emerging needs.”
IOC for HART was originally planned for 2018 and then shifted to Dec. 2020. A new date for IOC hasn’t been established but is getting closer, officials say. The program is also preparing to conduct parallel operations with the current IDENT system ahead of IOC.
In Jan. 2020, OBIM declared a schedule breach for HART, eight months after the program was re-baselined due to a prior breach, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report in Jan. 2021.
Citing program officials, GAO said the latest breach was due to “difficulties developing the database architecture and file storage technology for Increment 1” of HART.
Peraton, through its recent acquisition of the former government information technology business of Northrop Grumman [NOC], is the prime contractor for HART, which will eventually replace the legacy IDENT biometric repository and identity management system.
IDENT is primarily a fingerprint-based system but does have limited face and iris capabilities. However, the system is old and costly to maintain while HART is designed to add additional biometric modalities and be more scalable to accommodate more records and transactions.
“This is a significant challenge because IDENT is at risk of failure and additional investments are necessary to keep the system operational,” GAO said of the delays in the HART program.
GAO also warned that the HART program is facing “an affordability gap of approximately $142 million between fiscal years 2022 and 2025” due to the slips in program schedule. GAO said the program suffered a cost breach of its life-cycle cost estimate in May 2020 and that OBIM was still sorting out the new cost estimates.
“These officials noted that additional funding for IDENT may be necessary, but the total would not be evaluated until the IOC date for HART is established,” GAO said.
GAO said that as of May 2020, the life-cycle cost estimate of HART stood at $4.3 billion, $400 million higher than the 2018 baseline.
OBIM has always planned to recompete HART after the second increment but those plans are delayed, GAO said.