Investigation of The Chicago Department Of Aviation’s Usage Of GPS Technology

Executive Summary

The City of Chicago Office of Inspector General (lGO) recently concluded an investigation into the waste of City resources in the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). The investigation revealed that from 2008 through 2010, the CDA wasted City funds by purchasing, and then failing to use, global positioning system (GPS) technology for cell phones and vehicles.

Moreover, the CDA continued to pay for these GPS services even after it became apparent that the technology did not work in airport terminals and did not meet the CDA’s needs. The IGO’s interviews with numerous CDA employees responsible for the GPS technology revealed a significant failure of management oversight and underutilization of resources, spanning the terms of three CDA commissioners and involving multiple employees from the top down. Given that the long-standing problem was so widespread and persisted through multiple changes in department administration and organization, the IGO regarded the matter as programmatic in nature. As such, we made no recommendations for disciplinary action.

Instead, the IGO recommended that the CDA immediately take the steps necessary to comply with the City’s existing mobile communications and GPS policies to ensure full and effective use of its GPS technology.

CDA Commissioner Rosemarie Andolino agreed with the IGO’s findings and recommendations. In response to the IGO’s investigation, the CDA disconnected service for 122 cell phones and discontinued ineffective GPS services for 13 vehicles in the fall of 2011. The IGO commends these first steps.

The IGO recommended that the CDA review best practices for use of GPS technology and establish comprehensive, written policies and procedures regarding GPS and other technology initiatives. The IGO also recommended that these policies include regular audits of technology use, costs, and any available alternatives that may provide more cost-effective options. Finally, the IGO recommended that the CDA review current operating procedures to ensure that appropriate CDA employees are held accountable for the full and effective use of any assigned technology as well as the implementation of all applicable policies.

In her response, Commissioner Andolino further pledged to continue “to review the inventory of mobile communications devices and services to confirm accuracy, continued justification and value to the City.”

The IGO has calculated that these practices wasted at least $171,000 over four years. It is important to note that this review did not address City employees’ use (or non-use) of the underlying equipment, and instead focused solely on the GPS. As such, the prospect for additional waste remains. For example, in our review, we often found that, in addition to the GPS function going unused, there were no records showing the phone itself had ever been used.

This example, while seemingly small in comparison to a budget as large as the CDA’s, provides an important reminder to all City managers to regularly review ongoing service contracts, and to ensure appropriate policies are followed when using City funds to purchase new equipment and service. This is especially important for non-essential contracts such as GPS services.