11.21.06
State Employees Union Urges Delay of IT Privatization Contract
Here’s the AAS article, State employees union urges Texas to slow down on computer contract.
Texas’ largest state employee union called on legislative leaders today to delay the signing of a controversial deal that would privatize the computer-technology departments of 27 state agencies.
Citing two troubled computer-services contracts at the Health and Human Services Commission as a reason not to outsource other state services too hastily, the Texas State Employees Union asked for the delay in a letter to members of the Senate Finance Committee and House Appropriations Committee.
“The planned signing of the contract is overly hasty and exposes Texas taxpayers to the danger of yet another costly high technology contracting boondoggle,” the union stated in the letter.
Citing the recent problems with HHSC and Accenture privatization they recommend it might be best not to rush this IT outsourcing:
(Union vice-president Mike) Gross said the problems that the state human services commission has had with its new enrollment system, called the Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System or TIERS, and its controversial privatized enrollment of call centers highlight the need for caution in approving such a broad outsourcing plan.
“The IT functions that these agencies depend on for day-to-day operability will undergo unprecedented, massive changes. The changes would be all at once in the 27 agencies, with no apparent back-up plan. DIR has decided to move this project forward on an accelerated schedule, even though recent experience with other high-technology contracts has been bad and all indications are that much more caution would be appropriate,” Gross said.
I would have to agree that it’s best to go slow with these privatization plans from here on out.