Um . . . Wait a minute, Social Securities 7 Year-Long Disability System Effort Abandoned?

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Can someone either explain this document to me or point me to an old discussion thread. Is this y2k significant? To pique your interest, start with the last sentence, THEN go back to the beginning.

*Paste*

Social Security Administration: Update on Year 2000 and Other Key Information Technology Initiatives (Testimony, 07/29/1999, GAO/T-AIMD-99-259).

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Social Security Administration's (SSA) progress in implementing key information technology initiatives critical to its ability to effectively serve the public, focusing on SSA's efforts to: (1) achieve year 2000 readiness;(2) implement the Intelligent Workstation/Local Area Network (IWS/LAN);and (3) develop its Reengineered Disability System (RDS).

GAO noted that: (1) SSA first recognized the potential impact of the year 2000 in 1989, and in so doing, was able to launch an early response to this challenge; (2) SSA initiated early awareness activities and made significant progress in assessing and renovating mission-critical mainframe software that enables it to provide social security benefits and other assistance to the public; (3) despite its accomplishments,however, GAO's 1997 report on SSA's year 2000 problem program identified, and recommended actions for addressing three key risk areas;(4) SSA agreed with all of GAO's recommendations and efforts to implement them have either been taken or are underway; (5) to further reduce the risk of disruptions, in the fall of 1998, SSA initiated a year 2000 change management process; (6) SSA's process is comprised of three key components: (a) a quality assurance process; (b) year 2000 system recertifications; and (c) a moratorium on discretionary software modifications; (7) SSA expects IWS/LAN to play a critical role by providing the basic automation infrastructure to support redesigned work processes and to improve the availability and timeliness of information; (8) under this initiative, SSA planned to replace approximately 40,000 terminals and other computer equipment used in about 2,000 SSA and state disability determination service sites with an infrastructure consisting of networks of intelligent workstations connected to each other and to SSA's mainframe computers; (9) the resources that SSA plans to invest in acquiring IWS/LAN are enormous; (10) over the past year, SSA has continued its aggressive implementation of IWS/LAN; (11) it is essential that SSA conduct in-process and post-implementation reviews for the IWS/LAN initiative; (12) without such reviews, the agency will be unable to make informed decisions concerning: (a) whether it should continue, modify, or terminate its investment in a particular initiative; or (b)how it can improve and refine its information technology investment decision-making process; (13) SSA's work toward developing RDS has been ongoing for many years; (14) RDS was to be the first major programmatic software application to operate on SSA's IWS/LAN infrastructure and be part of the enabling platform for SSA's modernized disability claims process; and (15) however, after approximately 7 years and more than $71 million reportedly spent on the initiative, SSA has not succeeded in developing RDS and no longer plans to continue the effort.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

REPORTNUM: T-AIMD-99-259 TITLE: Social Security Administration: Update on Year 2000 and Other Key Information Technology Initiatives DATE: 07/29/1999 SUBJECT: Local area networks Computer software verification and validation Y2K Strategic information systems planning Information resources management Computer software Claims processing Social security benefits IDENTIFIER: Y2K SSA Intelligent Workstation/Local Area Network SSA Benefits Payment Delivery Y2K Contingency Plan SSA Reengineered Disability Program SSA Integrated Image-Based Data Capture System SSA/IRS Combined Annual Wage Reporting System



-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), August 27, 1999

Answers

I swear, if this forum had a preview option I wouldn't subject you to so many spelling errors. Until then, you'll have to live with 'em.

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), August 27, 1999.

After reading this several times, I still can't determine whether the writer is saying that this has direct bearing on y2k compliance.

-- Puddintame (achillesg@hotmail.com), August 27, 1999.

I think it was Cory that said there was insider information coming out of the SSA that they are still working hard on their Y2k problems. Thus, they're not done yet, no matter what the Prez says.

-- Gordon (gpconnolly@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

(1)achieve year 2000 readiness;(2) implement the Intelligent Workstation/Local Area Network (IWS/LAN);and (3)develop its Reengineered Disability System (RDS).

It would seem that SSA is trying to re-structure its basic cyberstructure using a IWS/LAN configuration. RDS was supposed to run on this structure. In fact

"(14) RDS was to be the first major programmatic software application to operate on SSA's IWS/LAN infrastructure"!!!

There are two obvious questions. First, is the basic IWS/LAN system up and installed (network equipment, terminals and software in place)? Second, is the SSA counting on IWS/LAN as a Y2K replacement for a non-compliant current network? Since RDS was going to be the "first" system running, the answer to the second question seems to be no. Insufficient data for the first question. This sounds a lot like another FAA/IRS cyber-FUBAR.

I had thought SSA would be modestly compliant and functional. Now, I'm not so sure.

-- RDH (drherr@erols.com), August 28, 1999.


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