Book excerpt: The inability to produce the data needed to efficiently & effectively manage the day-to-day operations of the fed. gov¿t. & provide accountability to taxpayers historically has been a major weakness at most of the largest fed. agencies. The central challenge in generating such data is overhauling inadequate & outdated accounting & financial-related mgmt. information systems. This annual report addresses: (1) compliance of the Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act agencies¿ financial systems with the requirements of the Fed. Financial Mgmt. Improvement Act of 1996 (FFMIA); (2) agencies¿ plans to bring their systems into compliance; & (3) other efforts to improve the government¿s financial mgmt. systems. Charts & tables.