Y2K Federal Update

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Daily News Y2K Federal Update By Stephen Barr, Washington Post. November 04, 1999

Postal Service Ready to Carry Heavy Load

The Y2K bug could give a boost to the U.S. Postal Service. Norman E. Lorentz, the service's chief technology officer, said at a House hearing last week that he expects more people to mail letters and documents as the calendar moves from 1999 to 2000 because of worries that e-mail might not be reliable.

Lorentz said he also hopes the Postal Service can serve as an "early warning beacon" for any Y2K problems, since it has letter carriers on almost every street in America. From Dec. 30 through Jan. 4, the Postal Service plans to operate a National Operations Center to gather and coordinate Y2K information for executives at postal headquarters.

Agencies Planning 'Day One' Strategies

The Postal Service is not alone in drafting "Day One" strategies for dealing with unexpected Y2K glitches. The Pentagon, for example, has decided the "date transition period" runs from Sept. 1, 1999, to March 31, 2000, a time frame that takes in any leap year problems that might cause computers to stumble.

Marvin J. Langston, the Pentagon's top Y2K official, expects the Defense Department will have an extra 5 to 10 percent of personnel on duty over the new year. Russian military personnel also are scheduled to arrive Dec. 22 in Colorado Springs to help staff a center aimed at making sure early-warning systems do not go haywire and set off alarms that nuclear missiles are being launched by either side.

But the General Accounting Office's Y2K specialist, Joel C. Willemssen, said the government faces considerable work in developing plans that will allow agencies to stay in business and cope with emergencies in the event of computer breakdowns.

Only nine of 23 large agencies have addressed all the "Day One" planning elements--such as staff on duty, contractor availability and a schedule of activities--identified as necessary by the Office of Management and Budget, Willemssen said.

Fifteen agencies have created a Y2K checklist for employees to follow and 17 have figured out what staff should be on duty during the New Year's weekend, he said.

Without advance planning, Willemssen testified at a joint hearing of two House subcommittees, agencies run the risk of ad hoc decisions or untrained, chaotic responses if confronted with a Y2K computer failure.

OMB official John T. Spotila said the government would have "core staff" on duty where needed during the Y2K weekend. He also acknowledged, "We are all learning as we go."

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Tminus57&counting.down), November 04, 1999


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