IY2KCC final report posted

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

Don't know if these links are already posted here but they are news in the Netherlands altough the date on the documents is feb. 16th.

press announcement 80 pages of report

-- snip press announcement ---

Report Details Success, Lessons Learned from Global Y2K Effort International Y2K Cooperation Center Releases Summary Report WASHINGTON, D.C. - The center created under the auspices of the United Nations with World Bank funding to minimize Y2K impact today released its summary report on the Y2K effort.

"Y2K was the first global challenge caused by information technology," said Bruce W. McConnell, director of the International Y2K Cooperation Center (IYCC). "Left un-addressed it would have significantly disrupted everyday life in many parts of the world. The hard work of the global Y2K team - millions of dedicated officials, managers, and technicians - averted that crisis," he said.

The 83-page report, entitled "Y2K: Starting The Century Right!" is posted on the center website, www.iy2kcc.org. The report "tells the story of the global public-private effort to attack the Y2K problem, as seen through the eyes of the International Y2K Cooperation Center and those of the government officials and their private sector partners in over 170 countries," said McConnell. "It is the story of the network that led the transition into the twenty-first century."

In ten chapters the report details IYCC efforts in promoting national Y2K programs, regional and sector cooperation, public information sharing, continuity and response cooperation, rollover monitoring, a framework for potential Y2K recovery, and lessons learned. An appendix discusses a "Y2K Spending Index" that shows national costs of addressing Y2K were roughly proportional to their dependency on information and communications technology.

On lessons learned, McConnell said, "public information sharing made the job easier for everyone. Y2K teaches that those closest to the situation - in this case the national Y2K coordinators -- are the most likely to know what they are talking about. The success of this non-bureaucratic, virtual network suggests a model for solving future international problems where business, government, and technology come together."

McConnell said the IYCC is scheduled to disband March 1, 2000. "We will conduct an informal watch over the leap dates, but expect that no problems will require international attention," he said.

Y2K refers to computer and automated control system malfunctions that could have occurred when the year changed from 1999 to 2000. Many computers and automated systems were engineered to handle only two-digit year formats, and would have made mistakes or stop working when they encounter "00" in the date field.

The IY2KCC was established in February 1999 under United Nations auspices with World Bank funding in response to the need to coordinate efforts to update computer and automated control systems around the world to transition smoothly to the year 2000. -- snip ---

TakeCare, hzlz

-- hzlz (mph@netbox.org), February 22, 2000

Answers

Thanks hzlz, this has not been previously posted here.

McConnell shows alarming positism. National Y2K Coordinators may know what they are talking about, but as we have learned in many ways, they are the least likely to share information. We all know that many events that happened were simply not reported, and it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out why.

I once participated in an international roundtable of Government organizations and NGO's (June '99). After that meeting, I felt *really* frightened for our world community (particularly vulnerable populations), in Y2K or any other world wide disaster, for the lack of cooperation and coordination amongst big orgs.

Organizations/nations are simply too agendized/politicized for real cooperation amongst themselves for the quality good of the people they are there to serve. (Y2K made me a REAL pessimist)

-- Jen Bunker (Jen@bunkergroup.com), February 22, 2000.


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