Va. Senate panel to investigate VITA
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.
Contact Jeff E. Schapiro at (804) 649-6814 or
.
Staff writers Olympia Meola, Jim Nolan and Tyler Whitley contributed to this report.
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Reader Reactions
The real issue and difference between what the commonwealth has and ‘outsourcing’ is that if a vendor does not perform, the company or agency should be able to fire that vendor and pick another, that is not the case, the NG service providers are arrogant and slow, and any agency head that is a “good solider” to the boss that appointed them, can/will only complain so much, especially if he the governor/emperor likes his “new clothes” as our Hon Kaine as shown. So state agency’s realize that there is no point in continuing to complain because it makes absolutely no difference to the “powers that be”. It is not an enterprise, it is overlaying the NG Bureaucracy on top of and more importantly in addition to the commonwealth’s. I am amazed that this discussion has taken so long to pique the newspapers interest.
JEr1234 - A lot of the things you’re advocating as improvements actually add to the cost of I.T. Let’s go over a few points:
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The agency I work for had a much better system than what is being given to us now. At least most computers had printers and it didn’t take months to replace a computer.
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A printer per pc is a large waste of money and technician time. Everyone does not need a personal printer. It increases support calls to techs and complexity. Also, knowing the way printers are sold most would be obselete in a year. Let’s not even go into buying printer cartridges for each.
That kind of waste is what VITA/NG was created to stop. Networked printers are great for an office environment. One standard printer for a specified number of users. The larger printer can also handle more of a workload than consumer level printers attached to each pc.
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I have 4 out of 5 computers in offices that have not been upgraded and still use WIN 98. @ or the 4 using 98 only need a $30.00 RAM upgrade to get them up and working with XP. VITA tells us tht the computer is not economically serviceable and says the Department has to buy a new computer.
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If the machine is running windows98 a $30 RAM upgrade is not going to bring it into the modern age. You’re talking about a machine running an 11 year old operating system. Let’s assume the machine is only 6 years old. That’s an eternity in pc technology. That machine should be replaced and not just upgraded to limp along for another unknown number of years. I won’t even talk about older hard drive capacities, outdated drivers, etc.
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Along with going thru the FBI database they are assigned an investigator that performs other checks. 4 times? Sounds like the person has a problem with his record. I don’t know of anybody who would require that many checks but I am sure it is an isolated case and their are other reasons for the multiple checks.
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Actually, it’s not an isolated case. Any tech who needs to access a state agency has to run a background check at each agency.
No matter how you “feel” about it the the truth is agencies are not standardized across the board. That needs to change.
I do agree that VITA could be cut out of the equation. NG could handle all of this and cut out the middle man. The problem is that the contract was not setup that way.
One reason being that most state agencies have been willfully independent for too long. They refused to upgrade because what they had “was working good enough.“ The problem is you end up with 20 year old machines at VDOT that had to have parts sourced via ebay.
State agencies needed a shake up to get the blood pumping again in I.T. They also needed a large agency to collectively bargain for deals on I.T. equipment as they would not or could not cooperate to buy in bulk to save tax payer dollars.
Everyone knew this wouldn’t be painless. Cats never like to be herded.
I was thinking of creating an online survey about what to do about VITA/NG. Of course, anyone can vote so I can’t lock it down to state employees.
What do you all think?
If you want to talk about something legitimate, how about how VITA / Northrup Grumman charges state agencies $125 to move a workstation from one office or cube to another; even if the move is to a cubicle on the same floor. Moreover, when an entire agency moves their IT staff are not supposed to move the equipment and install at the worksite. NG wants to do that and charge the same $125 per, which results in many thousands of dollars just to disconnect and reconnect PCs. Another example is the administrative fee that they charge for all hardware and software purchases. Recently we purchased a server with software to go with it. We did all the research, made all the calls to the vendors, obtained quotes and submitted it through EVA (the state’s ordering system) the price instantly was increased by several hundreds of dollars once VITA / Grumman fees were added on; and for what they did absolutely nothing, have nothing to process or handle and the equipment won’t be managed by them (thank god)!!! Who else has examples of Grummans outrageous charges for nothing?
Vacitizen obviously has an axe to grind regarding that topic. The facts are regarding record checks are that in most cases agencies are mandated to run record checks to prevent access by those with criminal records. Furthermore and most important to note is that an organization who receives a criminal history is by law prevented from sharing that information. Could State Police improve the process sure, but, that is not something the partnership would deal with either way so why are we discussing it?!? The Commonwealth is facing billions of dollars in deficits and hundreds of jobs have been lost and NG/VITA is sinking the grimy hooks in deeper and deeper all the time. For the love of Virginia, please don’t reduce this conversation to the efficiency of record checks.
Jer1234 - What he is saying is that there are several agencies, state police, DOC, DJJ, etc that require checks. They do the same checks but won’t accept it unless they do it. So even though its the same check they have to run it for each agency that requires it which is very inefficient and costly. Seems like there should be a way to streamline this so that one check would meet all the requirements but the agencies won’t work to try to make this more efficient.
“I understand what you are saying about sensitive information, but all background checks are run through the State Police who run them through the FBI database. All I am asking is it really necessary to run the same check 4+ times?“
Along with going thru the FBI database they are assigned an investigator that performs other checks. 4 times? Sounds like the person has a problem with his record. I don’t know of anybody who would require that many checks but I am sure it is an isolated case and their are other reasons for the multiple checks.
I would rather they do 4 checks than non at all. Error on the side of caution in this day of identity theft and information crimminals hacking into everybodies databases. This problem with VITA is bigger than background checks.
vacitizen, Try to spin it any way you want. 98% of state employees are worst off IT wise then before we had the NG/VITA contract. I have 4 out of 5 computers in offices that have not been upgraded and still use WIN 98. @ or the 4 using 98 only need a $30.00 RAM upgrade to get them up and working with XP. VITA tells us tht the computer is not economically serviceable and says the Department has to buy a new computer. Why should the Department pay thousands instead of 30? i also work on computers (they do not fall under VITA/NG) so I know what I am talking about. Anybody willing to try the survey route or are all the people in charge scared of the results
VACitizen- I certainly understand and agree with the value of seat management. Being a career IT professional I am all for an up-to-date enviroment, it makes my job easier. It worked in VDOT because the Business Managers understood it and saw its value and it was reasonably priced. This was underpinned by the sucessful ACTIONS of the process not some politicians spin that things are great. It was cheaper and the service was better than what the partnership is providing.
As you see from many of the posts, people don’t understand there is also service built into the price and that its not really a fair comparison to say I can run out to brand x and buy a $300 pc.
If you explain this to the customer then they are going to tell you they are not happy with the service being provided for the amount they are paying as they were paying less and getting more before, in many cases. They feel the costs are inflated and that they are being nickeled and dimed for everything else not included. Having tried to honestly sell this shtick I must say they have a case.
vacitizen - we deal with 20 state agencies and not a one of them has a kind word to say about VITA. Service terrible, cost astronomical. They are forced to purchase hardware/software through VITA at a cost that is higher than if you purchased the same items at Best Buy. If this was in any other setting - somebody would be charged with fraud.
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