Sip from the Firehose

Did you read the news about YAFSP (Yet Another Failed Software Project)? The FBI’s Virtual Case File project has joined the annals of the "Why Software Projects Fail". Quoting from the FBI web site, "Virtual Case File represents a dramatic change in the FBI’s record-keeping practices based on the transition from a paper-based environment to an electronic document management system that will transform the way the FBI does business. Virtual Case File will leverage technology to reduce redundancy, eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and maximize the FBI’s ability to use the information in its possession." The result is an investment of $170 million to date. Subtract from that $53.3 million of reusable equipment and $12.2 million in unspent funds and you get a loss of $104.5 million for the project.

In congressional testimony in front of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary, FBI Director Robert Mueller stated that "The development of the VCF application started with a very simple concept — the FBI’s need for a modern case management system. As the FBI’s mission evolved over the past several years, so did our technological needs. As a result of these changes and other issues, the FBI faced obstacles in a number of key areas relating to the VCF program." According to Mueller, problems occurred because

• There wasn’t a complete set of defined VCF requirements when the original contract was signed in June 2001 (the requirements were solidified in November 2002).
• The contract was based on hours worked — cost plus an award fee.
• The FBI lacked skill sets in qualified software engineering, program management, and contract management.
• There was a high turnover in program managers and Chief Information Officers.
• The FBI underestimated the complexity of interfacing with our legacy system, of addressing our security needs, and of establishing an enterprise architecture.

Don’t these reasons for failure sound "oh so familiar"? Mueller goes on to say "I am disheartened by this result but remain confident in our ability to deliver a case management system to our employees’ desktops in the future."

The Standish Group’s CHAOS report has been tracking failed projects (and the reasons why they fail) since 1994. Their 2003 report stated that more than 70% of projects are delivered late, 54% are delivered over budget, 66% were not considered successful, and 30% were canceled prior to completion. Maybe the FBI should read about Borland’s Software Delivery Optimization vision and strategy. Our recently announced Borland Core SDP (Software Delivery Platform) can help the FBI deliver the VCF on time, on budget within scope and at acceptable quality levels. Borland Core SDP offers the first customizable and integrated process and roles centric platform for application lifecycle management. It is designed to enable IT organizations to reduce their software delivery risk by transforming their software development into a managed business process.

Read the transcript of Robert Mueller’s Congressional Testimony

Share This | Email this page to a friend