Only 8% IS NOT COMPLIANT. These are only PARTS of bigger systems. Small problem though, no testing has been done yet to see if the systems will work together. (Washington Post) BEAM ME UP

-- SCOTTY (BLehman202@aol.com), March 31, 1999

Answers

Must have cut down the number of critical systems again since yesterday to get from 90% to 92%. Gee, I wonder if this includes the FAA, since they've been at 99% for how long now... <:)=

Aviation update

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), March 31, 1999.

Let's see, about a year ago Rep. Horn projected, based on current rates of progress, that only 65% of "mission critical" federal computer systems would be fixed by the self-imposed March 31, 1999, deadline. This was counting 8,600 systems as mission critical; the original number (August 1997) had been 9,100. The total number of federal systems is between 67,000 and 73,000, depending on whether you use GAO, OMB, "Federal Computer Week," or GMIT numbers. Anyway, last spring everybody said how dismal it would be to have only 65% of "mission critical" federal systems fixed by March 31, 1999.

Now it's March 31, 1999, and hooray for God, mom, and apple pie: the Clinton administration ("it depends on what the meaning of 'is' is") announces 92% of "mission critical" systems are "fixed" (though most data exchanges aren't fixed and no end-to-end system tests have been conducted yet, of course). Strange to say, though, now only 6,123 systems are considered "mission critical" (again, out of a total of 67,000 to 73,000 systems, remember).

Some math for the mathematically challenged:

.65 x 8,600 = 5,590.

.92 x 6,123 = 5,633.

In short, the feds have fixed a grand total of 43 more "mission critical" systems than Horn projected a year ago. This must be the "tremendous progress" referenced by both Koskinen and Marcoccio (of GartnerGroup). As for the 61,000 to 67,000 supposedly "noncritical" systems, well, let's not talk about those. No doubt none of them is really needed or sends data to the "mission critical" systems.

The real question, of course, is how many of even those supposedly "fixed" 5,633 "mission critical" systems really ARE fixed, since this "success" (which I know brings a tear to my eye) is largely based on the agencies' own reports, without third party testing and verification. As Horn says, it's akin to letting kids grade their own tests. As a former college instructor, I rather suspect what that would be like. It's little wonder that during the past year the GAO has caught the FAA (DOT), the DOD, and the Dept. of Agriculture (DOA?) in blatant lies--or semantic distinctions, if you prefer to be Clintonian--about their Y2K "progress." The GAO lacks the resources to investigate most of the 24 major federal agencies thoroughly or it probably would have uncovered plenty of more lies, to boot; certainly that is what Joel Willemssen suspects. I should add that I also used to work for the Dept. of Labor and have seen federal bureaucratic "fudging" up close and personal; in fact, it's routine. "Cover your ass" is the most popular indoor federal game; well, the second most popular, anyway.

Other than that, it's just another beautiful day in the neighborhood.

-- Don Florence (dflorence@zianet.com), March 31, 1999.

Thanks Scotty,

Diane

Washington Post ...

Meeting the Deadline, Mostly
By Stephen Barr
Wednesday, March 31, 1999; Page A27

http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/ 1999-03/31/008l-033199-idx.html

... While analysts applauded the governments progress, they stress that the next phase, called end-to-end testing, would be difficult, consume huge chunks of time and add to agency costs. ...

... Even though they have made many of the systems individually compliant, they still face the challenge of making sure they all work together...

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 31, 1999.