Department of Taxation and Finance

Progress in the Implementation of e-MPIRE (Follow-Up Report)

In 2001, the Department of Taxation and Finance began to replace its existing computer systems with a single, integrated system (the e-MPIRE system) that would contain the major business processes for all tax types. In audit 2005-S-50, we examined the actions taken by the Department in developing a budget for the e-MPIRE project and in monitoring actual costs against budgeted costs. We found the Department had not budgeted one of the project’s most significant costs: the cost of the in-house staff assigned to the project team. We also found the Department did not have a system for providing complete, accurate, and up-to-date information about actual project costs. We also examined the Department’s controls over the hiring and payment of the consultants on the project team (some of whom were paid more than $200 an hour), and found that a number of improvements were needed if the Department was to have reasonable assurance the payments were not higher than necessary and the consultants actually worked all the hours paid. When we followed up on these matters with Department officials, we found they had made considerable progress in implementing our audit recommendations.

For a complete copy of Report 2007-F-44 click here.