VITSPA - Position on VITA MSP Contract

The Commonwealth of Virginia through the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) recently awarded a new contact for information technology services that covers staff augmentation and project based work. These services will be supplied to the Commonwealth agencies by I.T. staffing and consulting firms through the Managed Service Provider program administered by ZeroChaos. A review of this contact has raised a number of questions and concerns such as:

• Sub-contracting and partnering.
• Employee data disclosure.
• Company proprietary information disclosure.
• Billing rate.
• Liability.
• Terms and Conditions in general.

The board of the Virginia Information Technology Suppliers Association (VITSPA) is currently engaged with VITA executives and VITA Supply Chain Management in an effort to resolve these questions and concerns for the benefit of the Commonwealth and the I.T. staffing and consulting business community.

The view of VITSPA is that vendor organizations should decline to participate in this program under the terms of the current agreement.

It is hoped that through an open dialogue with both the Commonwealth and ZeroChaos that the VITSPA board will be able to assist in the resolution of these issues and concern and arrive at a program that is of benefit to all.

Va., Northrop Grumman reach terms on deal

Virginia and its embattled computer-services contractor, Northrop Grumman, have reached terms on a new deal -- one that will extend their contentious relationship until 2019 and cost taxpayers at least an additional $140 million.

[more]

A new services and SOW contract vehicle with the Commonwealth of Virginia - Zerochaos

Yesterday and today the supplier community is being introduced to Zerochaos the new MSP for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Staff augmentation and project work (SOWs) of $2 million or less will be the initial business passing through Zerochaos' web tools.

--

Anyone have any experience with Zerochaos? I've only talked to one person so far who has, and it was a lukewarm review.

Law Restructures Virginia Information Technologies Agency

Virginia's CIO has a new boss -- Gov. Bob McDonnell.
McDonnell signed legislation Monday, March 15, that puts the state's CIO directly under the governor's authority, taking that power away from the Information Technology Investment Board -- the independent body that formerly oversaw the CIO's performance and hired for the position.

Some observers believe the move could shake up the Virginia Information Technologies Agency's troubled outsourcing agreement with Northrop Grumman, a 10-year, $2.3 billion IT services and management contract that's the largest of its kind among the nation's state governments.

[more]

Think We Pay Them Too Much?

After looking at Virginia.gov's photos, I'm wondering if the taxpayers and VITA pay them too much? Naw. My harpist is just as good...

Kaine: IT agency should report to governor

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine yesterday expressed concern about the level of information-technology customer service provided to state agencies, in a letter to several state lawmakers.

Kaine was responding to a letter that the chairmen of the legislature's two money committees and the chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission sent this week. The lawmakers said they cannot support any modifications to the state's $2.3 billion, 10-year contract with Northrop Grumman for IT services until a pending study is complete.

Kaine said he has no role in contract negotiations and cited the "unusual oversight structure" in which an independent panel -- the Information Technology Investment Board -- was created to oversee the Virginia Information Technologies Agency.

He reiterated that he believes the IT agency that serves executive agencies should report to the governor.

"No volunteer board, regardless of its collective talent . . . can offer the level of oversight that an elected executive with a full professional staff can provide," he wrote.

Kaine also said he demands "high performance" from agency heads but that their performance is based on a solid technology program. While customer-service problems are not unexpected with such a large project, he wrote, issues are addressed "less efficiently and effectively" when the agency delivering IT services is outside executive supervision.

He said one of his hopes is that the JLARC study may lead to an improved governance model.

Kaine encouraged leaders of the committees to arrange a meeting with him as soon as possible to discuss issues related to VITA.

Va. Senate panel to investigate VITA

JEFF E. SCHAPIRO TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Published: June 16, 2009

Lawmakers will investigate the state's troubled information technology agency, spurred by the removal of its boss and questions about the $2.3 billion Virginia is paying Northrop Grumman for computer services.

A state Senate panel that oversees government operations will conduct the inquiry and report to the Senate Finance Committee, whose chairman, Sen. Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William, ordered the review.

"I believe the full committee would benefit from a discussion of the issues and allegations," Colgan said in a letter Friday to Sen. Yvonne B. Miller, D-Norfolk, head of the general-government subcommittee.

The investigation, disclosed yesterday, follows the removal Wednesday of Lemuel C. Stewart Jr. as director of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency. He was dumped after he alleged that Northrop Grumman is failing to provide the state with full computer, software and maintenance services.

"We have nothing to hide, and we have no problem answering the legislature's questions," said James F. McGuirk II, chairman of the Information Technology Investment Board, which voted to drop Stewart from his $189,280-a-year job as chief information officer.

Christy Whitman, a spokeswoman for Northrop Grumman, said the company has "not been contacted about the investigation, but we continue to support the customer," a reference to VITA.

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to discuss the controversy engulfing VITA at a meeting Thursday. The money panel will hear from the staff of the General Assembly's watchdog agency, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, which has been monitoring implementation of the 10-year contract with Northrop Grumman.

Miller's subcommittee begins its work at a meeting June 29. It was not immediately clear when the subcommittee would turn over its findings to the Finance Committee.

Del. M. Kirkland Cox, R-Colonial Heights and the JLARC chairman, said the concern about VITA -- an initiative of Democratic Gov. Mark R. Warner -- is growing.

"We hoped when VITA came in, it would be a little removed from politics, and I think it's almost gotten to be the opposite," Cox said.

Republicans have expressed alarm over the selection of Secretary of Technology Leonard M. "Len" Pomata as Stewart's temporary successor. They question whether a political appointee of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine can serve simultaneously as head of an agency that, by law, is independent of the executive branch.

Kaine defended the selection and said Pomata will bring to VITA "the skill set that's needed at this point."

Under VITA, the Warner administration envisioned consolidating IT services previously left to individual agencies. The umbrella approach, Warner claimed, could save taxpayers $100 million.

Stewart apparently had expressed concerns for more than a year about the Northrop Grumman contract and had withheld payments to the company, usually in amounts of $600,000 to $700,000, on items such as modifications to VITA offices in Chesterfield and Russell counties and a procedures manual for employees.

Because of his continuing questions about the adequacy of documentation by Northrop Grumman in the bills its submits to the state, Stewart urged freezing a monthly payment of just more than $14 million. That recommendation preceded his removal.

The Northrop Grumman contract, now in its third year, is the biggest privatization pact issued by Virginia government. The contract is financed with fees imposed on agencies for IT services. But the charges are insufficient, resulting in a continuing shortfall -- $6.2 million, according to Stewart's final briefing to the VITA governing board.

The dispute over VITA is being monitored by the gubernatorial candidates, Democrat R. Creigh Deeds and Republican Bob McDonnell. As legislators, both backed its creation.

Ideas! About! Virginia! Government!

Want to discuss your ideas or concerns about the Commonwealth of Virginia? Rant about VITA? Visit http://ideas.virginia.gov.

IT deal no money saver yet for state

Virginia taxpayers may have to wait a decade or more to see if the state's $2 billion switch to privately run information technology services saves money.
A report yesterday by the General Assembly's investigative arm said the transition -- started in 2005 -- has been slow and difficult.

[entire article]

BOW 2007

Secretary of Technology Announces National Web Awards
~ Virginia receives more honors than any other state ~

RICHMOND - Secretary of Technology Aneesh P. Chopra today announced that Virginia’s Web site and three state agencies have received prestigious Digital Government Achievement Awards from the Center for Digital Government.

The Center recognized the state’s official Web site, http://www.virginia.gov/, managed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, as a top Best of the Web winner.

Other state honorees include the Council on Virginia’s Future, the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.

Additionally, Fairfax County ranked first in the nation in the county category and Virginia Beach received an honorable mention in the city category of Best of The Web.The Digital Government Achievement Award (DGAA) is a national program that recognizes outstanding agency and department Web sites and applications that enhance information interactions, transactions and/or services. The Best of Web awards program recognizes the most innovative, user-friendly state and local government portals based on their innovation, Web-delivery of public services, efficiency, economy, and functionality for improved citizen access.

“Across Virginia, we are using information technology to develop innovative and cost effective tools to improve customer service, management and business processes,” said Secretary Chopra. “These prestigious national awards for our state Web site, our agencies and our localities demonstrate our commitment to improve citizen service and the way we manage government by working smarter, not by spending more.”

Virginia.gov, the state’s official Web site, moved up in the Best of the Web rankings from fourth to third place among the 50 states. This year, all Virginia agencies worked closely with Virginia.gov in a pioneering partnership with Google to simplify and improve citizen access to government information via the Web, and this honor clearly reflects their work. (Read the Governor’s press release about the Google partnership.) Other changes to the state Web site enhanced the user experience through the most current advancements in technology, best practices and design. Virginia.gov is the only portal in the nation to have ranked in the Best of the Web top five every year it has been eligible to compete since 2001; it is managed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency through a public-private partnership with Virginia Interactive.

"2007 was an amazing year for our Best of Web and Digital Government Achievement Awards,” said Cathilea Robinett, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Government. The competition was fierce and there were many applications and portals that were top notch. It’s clear that America’s state and local governments are unrelenting in their pursuit of excellence for the citizens they serve.”

Thanks to its three outstanding agency project wins, Virginia received more honors than any other state in the 2007 recognition program.

The Council on Virginia’s Future was honored with the Digital Government Achievement Award in the Government to Citizen category for its Web site, “Virginia Performs,” http://www.vaperforms.virginia.gov/. Virginia Performs is a performance accountability system which ties rich data from many sources directly to the business of state government, greatly improving the way Virginia measures progress and reports results. It provides seamless transparency, supports broad policy decisions in pursuit of long-term objectives and engages citizens in informed dialogue about Virginia's future.

The Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy was honored with the Digital Government Achievement Award in the Government to Business category for its WaterTrans application for the Division of Mined Land Reclamation (DMLR). It provides the division and its customers with information critical to the development, permitting, regulation and operation of surface mining operations in Virginia. This application provides DMLR staff and customers, with the most up to date information in an easy-to-use and integrated fashion and is part of DMME's long-term commitment to provide cost effective information management tools that bring value to the agency and its customers.

The Department of Transportation’s Integrated Project Management system (iPM) was honored with the Digital Government Achievement Award in the Government Internal category. It is a joint technology and business effort that provides a state of the art integrated platform to manage transportation projects. iPM collects data from multiple applications and presents it as meaningful information via Web pages. iPM has improved access to project information, simplified existing work processes, improved data quality and accuracy, enabled changes in business processes, and ensured simplistic system maintenance and usability.Winners will be acknowledged at the 11th Anniversary Awards Gala in Las Vegas, Nevada on September 21, 2007. More information is available online at the Center for Digital Government’s Web site, http://www.centerdigitalgov.com/surveys.php?survey=cdg_bow.

Webmasters Meet

It looks like at long last someone is hosting the Webmasters meetings again. Three cheers! It's been years since we last had a meeting of the minds under that venue. This may be the first positive thing I've ever said about VITA (feel free to correct me on that point).

Hopefully this is the beginning of a real dialogue between those that call the shots and those that fire the actual bullets. Come prepared to ask questions, those of you invited. Things I've seen and heard lately that should be brought up are:

• The service distributor vs the service receiver view of the new banner
• The inconsistant implementation of the standards. Look at the following sites (not picking on anyone, just grabbing some with different looks) and compare their implementation of the standards: http://www.voc.state.va.us/index.html , http://www.boa.virginia.gov/ , http://www.governor.virginia.gov/ , http://www.virginia.gov/cmsportal2/ , http://www.sbe.virginia.gov/cms/ , http://www.ehealth.vi.virginia.gov/
• How often will the banner and related standards change? And how much notice will Webmasters get?
• What *really* happens if someone refuses to use the standards?
• Whatever happened to the statewide content management system plans from way back?
• Who ate all the apple danishes?

Expect the Best = Expect Delays

Virginia's government will no longer be told to expect the best from the state's IT agency.
The Virginia Information Technologies Agency has quietly dropped "Expect the best" as its signature slogan.
While saying the internal criticism from customer agencies did not prompt the change, the state's IT organization admits its consolidation and outsourcing has been a rough road.
"It will get tougher before it gets easier," said Lemuel C. Stewart Jr., the state's chief information officer, in VITA's customer newsletter this month. "Expect delays."

[entire article]

So he's not out?

Spoof e-mail sent under IT boss's name
BY PETER BACQUE Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

Someone sent an embarrassing e-mail to employees of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency using the state IT chief's e-mail address.

VITA is responsible for establishing information security practices for the state.
"It has nothing to do with the [state's IT] network or security," Lemuel C. Stewart Jr., the state's chief information officer, said of the fraudulent e-mail incident. "As bad as it is, it's not a breach of information security."

The perpetrator of the offensive message faces legal action if the state can determine who sent it, he said.

However, that is not likely. VITA was able to trace the message back to a computer server in Germany, he said, but no further.

Cast in vulgar terms, the Feb. 14 phony e-mail to about 200 employees was critical of Stewart's handling of the state's information technology system.

"This one, of course, did not originate from me," Stewart wrote VITA employees shortly after the e-mail incident. "I am sorry for any consternation this nuisance e-mail may have caused."
The message was a "spoofed" e-mail, Stewart said.

Spoofing is forging an e-mail so that the message appears to have originated from someplace other than the real source.

Since 2004, Stewart has overseen the consolidation of about 90 government agency IT systems into VITA and the subsequent outsourcing of the state's information-technology infrastructure in a $2 billion contract with industry giant Northrop Grumman.

---

The email in question:



From: MC Lemmy Lem[SMTP:LEM.STEWART@VITA.VIRGINIA.GOV]
Creation
time: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 2:40:35 PM
To: VITA
Subject: [Possible
SPAM] Sad news...
Auto forwarded by a Rule
I seem to have run out of Viagra. Unfortunately this will mean less
vigorous screwings of the Commonwealth citizens. My apologies.
-Lem
[Possible SPAM] -- Virginia
Information Technology Agencies' (VITA's)
SPAM prevention system has flagged
this message. Many parameters are considered when determining if an e-mail is
possible SPAM. If this message is from a known and trusted source, you may
disregard this warning, otherwise this message may contain unwanted or
objectionable material. For questions or concerns, please contact the VCCC Help
Desk at vccc@vita.virginia.gov
or
(804)786-3932.


And the follow up email sent by (I assume) VITA:

From: CIO of the Commonwealth[SMTP:CIO@VITA.VIRGINIA.GOV]
Sent:
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 3:43:25 PM
To: VITA
Subject: Spoofed
Message
Auto forwarded by a Rule
Please ignore the message you received earlier. VITA Security and Northrop Grumman technical staff are working to determine the source of this message. We will engage law enforcement to take appropriate disciplinary action against the perpetrator(s) of this offensive message.

This was a "spoofed" e-mail. E-mail spoofing is the forgery of an e-mail so that the message appears to have originated from someone or somewhere other than the actual source. This one, of course, did not originate from me. I am sorry for any consternation this nuisance e-mail may have caused.
Lem

Budget flap at state IT agency

Because of changes in the way VITA charges its government customers for information services, heavily federally funded agencies could be out as much as $4.7 million this year. Virginia's chief information officer, however, said the additional costs -- which those agencies may not be able to get the federal government to cover -- will probably be less.

VITA chief Lemuel C. Stewart Jr. said he expects the actual cost to be no more than $2.5 million.

"Some of the [federally funded] agencies will need to go back to their federal counterparts and say, 'We need more dollars,'" Stewart said.

Virginia officials "can balance the budget between agencies . . . for state funds," said one state information systems manager, "but they can't balance budgets between federally funded agencies."

U.S. grants, the manager said, will not change to match the billing just because VITA raised prices.

Well, I feel better already. ONLY $2.5 million, when properly spun. That's chump change.

State Web Standards

Proposed changes to the existing Commonwealth of Virginia Web Standard:

In early January, Secretary of Technology Chopra announced two important Web initiatives: enterprise Google search functionality and a new common banner for posting at the top of all executive branch agency Web sites. To accomplish these objectives, revisions are necessary to the Commonwealth Web policies, standards and guidelines (PSG’s). Today, the suggested revisions and common top banner have been posted to ORCA, for your review and comment during the next 30 days.

The major changes include:
The agency banner space will be expanded from the current 50 pixel height to 100 pixels; agencies will be able to use banners between 50-100 pixels.
A new common top banner (50 pixels) will be deployed across state Web sites including the state portal, Virginia.gov. The intent is to provide enterprise Google search and helpful enterprise navigational aids to assist citizen users.
"Contact Us" and "Web Policy" links move to the bottom of sites.
The common banner will be posted above the agency banner of each site. It will contain a link to the state portal, Virginia.gov, as well as enterprise links including Online Services, State Web site list, and the Governor’s site. The “Skip to Content” link will be hidden within the code of the common banner to allow screen reader access at the beginning of each page.

Also included is an enterprise link to Virginia Interactive’s “Live Help” feature. Agencies do NOT have to provide any support for this feature. Virginia Interactive will provide all staffing for this service.

Finally, the common banner will contain the enterprise search feature which will allow users to access the Google search functionality across all state sites. Agency search boxes should contain the text “Search this site” to differentiate between statewide and agency search.

PPEA

From the VITA site:
September 8, 2005 — The Information Technology Investment Board voted unanimously on a motion directing the CIO of the Commonwealth to publically release redacted Infrastructure PPEA proposals submitted by IBM and Northrop Grumman by close of business Monday, September 12.

Good start, although it may depend on how much "redacting" gets done.

State ponders deal to rebuild IT infrastructure

Virginia's information technology agency is considering an outsourcing contract for the state's IT infrastructure that could, with a three-year option, run as long as 13 years.

[entire article]

VITA board's secrecy assailed

VITA board's secrecy assailed
Some question decision not to publicly release privatization proposals

Virginia taxpayers and government officials are beginning to express displeasure with the state Information Technology Investment Board's decision not to release publicly the proposals for privatizing the state's IT system.

[Entire article]

Saving Money? Or VITA-fying it?

As I was pouring over various Web pages and documents, looking for something to rail against, I ran across a subpage of the Virginia.gov site. The Virginia portal (that's a website that goes to other websites, or one of those things on Star Trek that takes you to the Gamma Quadrant), long one of my favorite government sites, is part of what appears to be the ever-cloudy legacy of IT gone sour in Virginia. The portal is claimed as one of the few VITA success, using the model of the public-private partnership to bring government to citizens.

Only, after a bit of digging and some calling around, the numbers don't add up.

A private vendor is responsible for maintaining the Virginia.gov portal. That company is Virginia Interactive, which is part of a larger Corporate Entity called NIC Inc. Virginia Interactive gets paid something in the neighborhood (and a nice neighborhood it is) of $4 million a year to keep the portal lights on. VITA holds the contract and seems to think they're getting their money's worth. Well, let's do the numbers, shall we?

Judging from what many states pay, and taking into account the Virginia site is mostly static HTML, you can keep the site going and fairly fresh with one FTE (Full Time Employee), one server, and one T1 connection. Pay the FTE about $45k a year (it's just HTML and pictures), buy the server at a reasonable $3,000, and pay for the T1 at a slightly painful $6,000 a year, and you get a total of: $54,000 a year (I know, the server doesn't burn out every year, but the math is easier). For a grand total profit of $3,946,000 a YEAR.

That's a lot of scratch, me buckos.

One insider pointed out that for that $3.9 million, the vendor does a lot of free work. Like what? Hard to say. The State Payment Portal? There's an extra fee attached. Hunting and Fishing licenses online? Fee. Health Professions information? Fee. Lobbyist in a box? Service of Process? PEO Services? Web design? Fee, fee, fee, fee.

DMV records? Well, that's got some wiggle room. Assuming for the moment that DMV can't figure out how to get THEIR DATA online in an "enhanced" manner, the technology being used is fairly old and standardized. Is it worth $3.9 million a year? Many say, "Hell no." A million, maybe. If you aren't charging for all that other stuff, too.

So, only $2.9 million a year in profit? Hardly sounds like VITA is saving the state any money, does it? I'll do it for $1 million a year, and save the state almost $2 million a year. How's THAT for cost-savings...

Makes me wonder what we're in store with the RFPs being reviewed from IBM and Northrop. A billion a year to cut grass?

July's results are in...

Best and Worst uses of Web Technology for July:

Best

RSS Feeds on virginia.gov. The only question I still have is why other state sites aren't using them?

Online Fishing and Hunting. Finally it occured to someone that people who like to sit in the woods all day just to kill something don't want to go out in public to buy their license to do so.


Worst

VITA's e-newsletter. Really, who uses PDFs for newsletters on the Web? Do these folks even know what the Web is for? They could just as easily have made it a Web page, which would have made the newsletter prettier, cleaner, more accessible, and easy to search and archive. The only reason for creating a pdf version of a newsletter that I can think of is that VITA didn't have anyone on hand who knew HTML.

Secretary of Technology's Website. What exactly does Secretary Huang do, now that all the important decisions in IT are made by the CIO? It certainly doesn't involve the Internet, whatever it is, as his site has nothing more advanced than the early '90s.


Cheers, and wait for August's report! Remember, there's no shame if you play the game, but I won't bite if you do it right.