Readers may be aware of the FBI's massive Trilogy software project failure. The audit report on this is posted here. Interestingly, it cites "Lack of an Enterprise Architecture" as a key contributing factor.

Quote:

"Lack of an Enterprise Architecture

"An Enterprise Architecture provides an organization with a blueprint to more effectively manage its current and future IT infrastructure and applications. As stated in the Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report Information Technology: FBI Needs an Enterprise Architecture to Guide Its Modernization Activities, issued in September 2003, the development, maintenance, and implementation of Enterprise Architectures are recognized hallmarks of successful public and private organizations.

"The GAO reported that the FBI does not have an Enterprise Architecture, although it began developing one in early 2000. The GAO also found that the FBI lacks the management structures and processes to effectively develop, maintain, and implement an Enterprise Architecture. Additionally, the OIG’s December 2002 audit report entitled FBI’s Management of Information Technology Investments recommended that the FBI continue its efforts to establish a comprehensive Enterprise Architecture. The report also recommended that the FBI develop and implement a specific plan to integrate the ITIM and Enterprise Architecture processes.

"While the FBI agreed to develop a comprehensive Enterprise Architecture, this recommendation has not been fully implemented. The FBI has contracted for an Enterprise Architecture to be completed by September 2005. Without a complete Enterprise Architecture, the FBI’s systems are not defined. As a result, in the Trilogy project the FBI needed to conduct reverse engineering to identify existing IT capabilities before developing the infrastructure and user applications requirements."

Interesting failures in program management and system engineering were also identified. In the FBI's defense, it's all the sort of thing that pervades private sector software failures; the only difference is that the audit report on the FBI is public. One hopes it becomes required reading in computer science, software engineering, and MIS courses.