Review of the FBI’s Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Program

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in the process of developing a modern information technology (IT) system"e;the Trilogy program"e; that is designed to provide a high-speed network, modern workstations and software, and an application"e;the Virtual Case File (VCF)"e;to enhance the ability of agents to organize, access, and analyze information. Implementation of this system has encountered substantial difficulties, however, and has been the subject of much investigation and congressional concern. To help address these problems, the FBI asked the National Research Council (NRC) to undertake a quick review of the program and the progress that has been made to date. This report presents that review. The current status of four major aspects of the program"e;the enterprise architecture, system design, program management, and human resources"e;are discussed, and recommendations are presented to address the problems.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is in the process of developing a modern information technology (IT) system"e;the Trilogy program"e; that is designed to provide a high-speed network, modern workstations and software, and an application"e;the Virtual Case File (VCF)"e;to enhance the ability of agents to organize, access, and analyze information. Implementation of this system has encountered substantial difficulties, however, and has been the subject of much investigation and congressional concern. To help address these problems, the FBI asked the National Research Council (NRC) to undertake a quick review of the program and the progress that has been made to date. This report presents that review. The current status of four major aspects of the program"e;the enterprise architecture, system design, program management, and human resources"e;are discussed, and recommendations are presented to address the problems.