Todays headline pissed me off. After the controversy of hearing individual agents tell stories of how they were on top of the Sept 11 hijackers but were held back from doing anything by upper management blocking their requests to do their jobs, we get told it was a general system problem that let the hijackers get through. OK, a field agent has it figured out, sees the people in classic terrorist activities, wants to move in the obvious direction and gets stonewalled in an uncommon way. That must be because they couldn't share their files on line right? I'm sorry, was direct communication with immediate superiors not clear enough?!
Fine, just for shits and grins let's blame the computers. The FBI really does have an obscenely outdated computer system so they try to fix it.
WASHINGTON -- A new FBI computer program designed to help agents share information to ward off terrorist attacks may have to be scrapped, the agency has concluded, forcing a further delay in a four-year, half-billion-dollar overhaul of its antiquated computer system.
The bureau is so convinced that the software, known as Virtual Case File, will not work as planned that it has taken steps to begin soliciting proposals from outside contractors for new software, officials said. The overhaul of the decrepit computer system was identified as a priority both by the independent commission that investigated the Sept. 11 attacks and by members of Congress, who found that the FBI's old system prevented agents from sharing information that could have headed off the attacks.
Since the attacks, Congress has given the FBI a blank check, allocating billions of dollars in additional funding. So far the overhaul has cost $581 million, and the software problems are expected to set off a debate over how well the bureau has been spending those dollars.
The bureau recently commissioned a series of independent studies to determine whether any part of the Virtual Case File software could be salvaged. Any decision to proceed with new software would add tens of millions of dollars to the development costs and render worthless much of a current $170-million contract.
L.A. Times, January 13, 2005
THE NATION
New FBI Software May Be Unusable
My annoyance is with the software. Here is a far reaching investigative agency supposedly known for finding things out that needs to establish the same level of database access that would compare to a major corporation but they hire an outside company to create a 1 up software package that has no user expandability for $170 million. Surprise! the ground up development failed! Surprise! They have to start over! Surprise! they didn't even know what they needed!
Does nobody know how to manage a software project? Does nobody know how to hire your own damned programmers to work internally with a team of user experts and test a system component by component on a goal oriented basis? I am sure thare are pleanty of talented patriotic geeks who would jump at the chance for FBI clearance and a job. Does anyone know how to research existing systems or possible out of the box solutions before writing code to reinvent the wheel? Does anyone learn that any system becomes outdated with the setting of the sun and therefore vital systems must have a planned path of upgrade and expansion?
They want a Shared Document Database with internet capabilities like any national chain or multi office business. Their specific details become secondary to the basic task. The logistical problems are already solved many times over and have been on the retail market for years. So how does one design oneself into a corner and both fail to meet the original goals for $170 million and still not live up to existing standards. I know, with government support!
My irritation is that the time and money wasted seems to be a classic management error from the top down. The primary motivating force seemed to be the belief that spending lots of money is a solution to any problem. Shouldn't the point be to resolve the problem by setting a goal. Determine a plan that encompasses a level of efficiency. Ideally that plan will also prevent the same pattern of forced entropy that got them into this situation in the first place?
This kind of behavior would destroy a real business or at least get somebody fired. This is like waiting hours for someone to get out of the bathroom so they can both get back to work only to find out that they were masturbating over underwear ads all this time and now have to clean up the mess but have used up all the soap.
Well the good news is that they can still keep the name of the original software but they will probably need to replace the splash screen.