The best and worst in federal IT, 2010 edition

What were the best federal IT initiatives of 2010? According to industry officials:

-- A 25-point strategy for simplifying and speeding system installations that relies on a shift to cloud computing -- Web-based applications that agencies can lease and share.

-- A myth-busters campaign to dispel the belief that agency personnel will go to jail if they talk to contractors before issuing work solicitations.

-- A move toward open source software for sharing veterans' health records.

And the worst initiatives?

-- A freeze on all contractor work to deploy financial systems.

-- Policies that created uncertainty about when federal employees can talk to contractors and what they can say.

-- The suspension of a major federal contractor without due process.

The Obama administration extended an olive branch to technology contractors in 2010 in a broad effort to fix how agencies procure $80 billion worth of computing support annually, according to members of the information technology community.

One of the biggest achievements, observers said, came this month with the release of a 25-point plan that reflects industry's recommendations for overhauling IT installations. Traditional procurement practices have delayed projects by decades, busted budgets by billions of dollars and failed to deliver working technology. The new acquisition strategy, much of which will be implemented during the first half of 2011, aims to counter those trends by shortening production time and scaling back ambitions.

Representatives for the trade groups TechAmerica and the Professional Services Council, along with the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council, a public-private partnership, all said the IT reform roadmap reflects their advice to the Obama administration.

"There has been a real interest by government agencies in collaborating with the private sector to find actionable solutions," said Ken Allen, executive director of ACT-IAC.

The three organizations especially commended the strategy's commitment to end the myth that agency personnel cannot interact with contractors prior to issuing work solicitations. Currently, federal officials abstain from talking with interested vendors before awarding contracts for fear of showing favoritism, or creating a conflict of interest that could land them in jail.

Companies say early and frequent communication leads to more feasible contract requirements. "The result should be a greater return on the investment of citizen dollars," Allen said.

Industry also applauded the government for serving as a role model to encourage the acceptance of digital patient records across the health care system.

"We salute the Department of Health and Human Services and [the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT] for initiatives promoting interoperability, the seamless exchange of data across disparate systems, which is a fundamental enabler of health system transformation," said Steve Shane, managing director of Accenture's federal health program.

During 2010, HHS issued compatibility standards for electronic health records. Federal health IT initiatives will yield "integrated, patient-centric health care that focuses on prevention and wellness," he said. Accenture combined its health care division and public sector group in 2009 to prepare for contracting opportunities at agencies such as the Social Security Administration that are exchanging e-health records.

Accenture and ACT-IAC particularly praised the administration's support for open standards in building health IT software. For example, the Veterans Affairs Department is considering upgrading digital patient records with open source software -- programs that use nonproprietary coding -- that would let outside developers improve and modify the code. VA's current e-records system, Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA), is based on a 1996 model for information exchange.

In August, the department issued a request for information on the concept of opening VistA coding to permit tweaks and enhancements, a step in line with guidance that IAC delivered to VA Chief Information Officer Roger Baker.

"VA seriously considered industry's recommendations in developing a strategy for VistA," Allen said.

But industry groups didn't endorse every federal technology initiative. TechAmerica officials criticized a 2010 move to indefinitely halt the development of all agency financial systems and other large projects until they were pared back in design or scrapped altogether.

In addition, industry officials said the Small Business Administration failed to follow appropriate procedures when it suspended GTSI Corp., a major federal supplier, from government contracting on Oct. 1. The suspension followed allegations the company manipulated small business set-aside rules in obtaining federal contracts. About 20 days later, SBA temporarily lifted the suspension stipulating that GTSI meets stricter oversight requirements while the agency's inspector general conducts a full investigation.