FBI Pushed Ahead With Troubled Software

[Rose Siding]

Some FBI officials began raising doubts about the bureau's attempts to create a computerized case management system as early as 2003, two years before the $170 million project was abandoned altogether, according to a confidential report to the House Appropriations Committee.

By 2004, the report found, the FBI had identified 400 problems with early versions of the troubled software -- but never told the contractor. The bureau also went ahead with a $17 million testing program last December, even though it was clear by then that the software would have to be scrapped, according to the review.

The 32-page report -- prepared by the House committee's Surveys and Investigations staff and obtained by The Washington Post -- indicates that the FBI passed up numerous chances to cut its losses with the doomed Virtual Case File (VCF), instead forging ahead with a system that ultimately cost taxpayers more than $100 million in wasted expenditures.

The report chronicles a list of errors and misjudgments that were made during the software project's troubled history, from assigning underqualified personnel to poor oversight and inadequate planning. And while the bureau has enacted important reforms in its information technology efforts in recent months, one FBI official warned that the bureau remains far behind where it should be.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/05/AR2005060501213.html

[foo_bar]

1. the usual pillaging

SAIC officials have strongly defended their role in developing the software and have complained about frequent FBI management turnover and design changes -- including 36 to the contract alone.

above

SAIC's largest customer by far is the U.S. government, which accounts for 69 percent of its business, according to its SEC filings. The company also derives a sizeable chunk of its revenue from state, local and foreign governments.

Another Pentagon contract calls for SAIC to, in effect, rebuild Iraq's mass media, including television stations, radio stations and newspapers. SAIC runs the "Voice of the New Iraq," the radio station established in April 2003 at Umm Qasr that is funded by the U.S. government.

Just how the company is going about the task of rebuilding Iraq's media and the overall cost remains a mystery, however. The Pentagon has steadfastly refused to release any specific information on SAIC's media reconstruction work, which has been dubbed the Iraqi Media Network. What little information that has leaked out about the SAIC effort has come mainly from disgruntled employees and press freedom advocates, who have charged the company has bungled the job badly.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/bio.aspx?act=pro&ddlC=51

The center singled out SAIC, a technology and services company that works closely with the Pentagon. It says SAIC's contract to train Iraqi journalists shows that well-connected companies had won jobs in areas where they have little experience. SAIC declined comment.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/2003-10-30-contracts_x.htm

SAIC officials refused to discuss their contracts with the Center, directing all calls to the Pentagon press office, which did not answer Center queries. However, a congressional source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Center that one SAIC media contract in Iraq likely would be worth more than $50 million by the end of 2003. The total value of SAIC's contracts could not be determined.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/wow/report.aspx?aid=65

[seemunkee]

2. I can supply them with non functional software for a lot less

I'll settle for 2 million.
Pirates - SAIC, CSC, CACI, etc. They're all pirates

[Psephos]

3. LOL n/t

[sendero]

4. My belief...

.... having been in the software development biz for 20 years, is that there is usually plenty of blame to go around.

It usually starts when the customer (buyer) doesn't take the time to really figure out what they want to begin with. Nobody would expect their building contractor to make major floor plan changes to a house that was already 50% complete, but software buyers do it all the time. They just don't understand that those "little changes" they want often affect the foundations of the system.

Secondly, software development management is done very poorly almost everywhere. It comes in two flavors, all or nothing.

In the all model, everything is documented endlessly, inspected endlessly, reviewed endlessly, and nothing is ever accomplished. In the nothing model, everyone runs around like a cowboy doing whatever they want and the system is a set of disparate unintegratable parts as a result.

It never surprises me that much when a government agency has this problem, after all, it's not their money and it's no skin off their ass if it is wasted. But this happens in private industry all the time. Companies sink millions, tens of millions, even hundreds of millions into software projects that are eventually abandoned. And the fact is, once a project reaches a certain level of dysfunction it is almost, if not completely, impossible to rescue.

[Fovea]

6. Every buck spent on the requirements phase

saves 10 in the development phase.
SAIC was stupid, and obviously has a lot to learn.
Good thing they have a sugar daddy in Uncle Sam.

[seemunkee]

11. Their web site says they are CMM Level 5

They need to be re-assessed. If they didn't develop a solid requirements document and define who change requests would be handled they should be Level 1.

[lovuian]

5. I have one word Asscroft!!!

He did a fine job!!!

[kskiska]

7. WP: FBI Pushed Ahead With Troubled Software

Monday, June 6, 2005; A01

Some FBI officials began raising doubts about the bureau's attempts to create a computerized case management system as early as 2003, two years before the $170 million project was abandoned altogether, according to a confidential report to the House Appropriations Committee.

By 2004, the report found, the FBI had identified 400 problems with early versions of the troubled software -- but never told the contractor. The bureau also went ahead with a $17 million testing program last December, even though it was clear by then that the software would have to be scrapped, according to the review.

The 32-page report -- prepared by the House committee's Surveys and Investigations staff and obtained by The Washington Post -- indicates that the FBI passed up numerous chances to cut its losses with the doomed Virtual Case File (VCF), instead forging ahead with a system that ultimately cost taxpayers more than $100 million in wasted expenditures.

The report chronicles a list of errors and misjudgments that were made during the software project's troubled history, from assigning underqualified personnel to poor oversight and inadequate planning. And while the bureau has enacted important reforms in its information technology efforts in recent months, one FBI official warned that the bureau remains far behind where it should be.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/05/AR2005060501213.html

[Whoa_Nelly]

8. Our tax dollars "judiciously" spent

fuckers :mad: :nuke: :mad:

[merwin]

9. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1525720

[elias49]

10. First the government stole PROMIS from Inslaw Corp

then they fucked it up and sold it off to our allies like Germany, Canada...there are even reports that it may have ended up in the hands of Osama bin Laden.
"Oh well, guess we'll try something else!"
Waste of money, waste of time, waste of good software.
Fools and thieves.