Information and information technology are crucial to the State Department's ability to meet its mission and business needs. However, State has a poor history of managing information resources and, as a result, continues to rely on inadequate and obsolete information technology. This situation has led to critical information shortfalls as well as interruption of operations. State has several initiatives, such as automating name-checking for visa applicants and modernizing systems departmentwide, aimed at overcoming these problems. However, by not following the best information resources management (IRM) practices, State has jeopardized the success of these efforts. State must commit to strategic information management. This approach would require State to anchor IRM planning in mission goals and objectives and integrate planning and budgeting functions. The approach would also require establishing an organizational framework that includes a senior management partner to lead and direct IRM and an investment and oversight process that significantly involves senior managers from regional and functional bureaus. Until such changes are made, critical mission and business functions--such as the identification of terrorists prior to visa issuance--will continue to be undermined by inaccurate, untimely, and incomplete information.