Testimony of Anthony
J. Principi Secretary Department
of Veterans Affairs Before
the Subcommittee
on Oversight and Investigations Committee
on Veterans’ Affairs U.S.
House of Representatives April
4, 2001 Thank
you Mr. Chairman, Mr. Snyder, and members of the subcommittee for this
opportunity to come here today to address the issues you have raised
concerning VA’s Information Technology (IT) program and specifically
VA’s integrated systems architecture, VETSNET, our information
security posture, and the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA)
Decision Support System. I
would also like to take this opportunity to give you my personal
commitment that we will reform the way we use information technology
at VA. I
first want to restate my pledge that we will not spend any new funds
on IT until we have defined an Enterprise Architecture that ends
“stove-pipe” systems design, incompatible systems development, and
the collection of data that do not yield useful information.
I have instructed my staff to convene a panel of world experts
in the area of systems architecture to team with key business unit
decision makers in each of our Administrations and staff offices to
develop a comprehensive Integrated Enterprise Architecture Plan.
I am well aware of your concern about this serious problem. I have assigned it the highest priority, and I expect to be
able to deliver this plan to you in a matter of months. The
other issue that has my immediate attention is our IT security
posture. I want you to
know that I take very seriously the privacy and security of the
information that we use and collect.
As we become more and more sophisticated in the use of
information technology, we must never lose sight of what is really at
stake. Our veterans
entrust us with the most private, the most sensitive information
imaginable. Good medicine
is dependent upon good communication. Our veterans must be assured
that we will honor that trust by ensuring that no unauthorized person
has access to this information. Similarly
we must be able to ensure that financial transactions are scrupulously
protected and that the networks and systems that we have come to
depend on are secure and available. I
am pleased to be able to report that we have made significant strides
recently in improving our overall IT security posture.
But as the reports of the U. S. General Accounting Office and
our own Inspector General demonstrate, in truth, we still have much to
do. I have made it clear
to my staff that I will hold all senior managers accountable for
ensuring strict compliance with our security directives.
I am pleased to report that we have created a Senior Executive
Service level “Cyber-Security” Director position.
We have selected a highly qualified candidate from a rich
talent pool to fill the position.
He will be an important member of my IT management team.
We have also made a series of critical decisions to enforce our
policies that will result in a more secure, a more private
environment. We cannot
afford to lose the trust of veterans concerning the privacy of their
medical information or the Congress concerning our stewardship of the
resources that have been provided.
We appreciate that trust and we will not lose it. In
regard to the two specific programs, VETSNET and VHA’s Decision
Support System, as you are very aware, each of these programs has had
a troubled history. Let
me tell you what I currently know, and more importantly, how I intend
to proceed with each program. VETSNET
has been under development for far too long.
Its development was delayed as new technologies and technical
approaches came and went. Over
time it has suffered from a lack of focus, the absence of clear goals,
and at some points inadequate management.
These problems are behind us.
The current VETSNET management plan addresses these problems.
What began as a modernization program to automate all of
VBA’s business lines has evolved into a replacement system for the
Compensation and Pension (C&P) claims processing system that was
developed in the 1960's and 70's.
However, I am still concerned about critical issues of
performance and effective systems integration.
Therefore, I have directed that before we proceed to a fully
operational status on VETSNET, we will conduct an independent audit of
the overall system. This
audit will provide us with the assurance that this system will meet
all of the security, functional, and performance requirements we have
set for it. If it passes
these tests, we will go forward with its implementation on the current
schedule. If not, we will
develop a plan to extend the life of the current systems and
immediately begin the development of a replacement system. Let
me make a few things clear. We
will not throw good money after bad.
If this current version of VETSNET doesn’t meet our needs for
the next several years, we will terminate its development.
Conversely, if it does meet our needs, we will not hold past
failures against it, and we will go into production with the system.
I have been assured that VETSNET is being developed in an open
architecture to facilitate eventual integration into a future system
and that it should fit within the framework of the Enterprise
Architecture I have previously discussed.
That system will be part of an integrated, whole solution to
the needs of our veterans. As
for VHA’s Decision Support System (DSS), we have made a significant
investment in both time and resources in the implementation of DSS.
Since its implementation at the end of FY 1998, VHA has made
significant strides to improve the data quality and access.
A number of significant changes and applications of DSS are
underway in VHA. VHA
has extended access to DSS data from beyond the production system by
developing National DSS extracts.
These enable users at both the Veterans Integrated Service
Network (VISN) and VA Medical Center (VAMC) levels to develop
customized reports needed to manage costs and understand workload.
DSS data are now being used for the development of FY 2002 VERA
allocations. The DSS use
for VERA allocations is a clear indication that VHA is committed to
using DSS to support some of the most critical decisions that VHA
makes. Also, the Practice
Management Advisory Board is using DSS data in their work in practice
profiling. VISN Directors
now have two DSS performance measures and a total of 14 DSS-based
performance measures are being used to ensure that facilities move
towards data based decision making.
Most importantly, to further integrate DSS use in financial
management and day-to-day operations, the DSS program was transferred
to the VHA Office of Finance on March 11, 2001. To
address concerns about the quality of DSS data, standardization audits
have been developed and will be deployed to ensure that a standard
structure is used at all levels.
Additional efforts are underway to improve access and use of
DSS data. While many of the implementation issues that once faced VHA
have been addressed and resolved, I believe our focus must be on the
future and on better use of DSS in our day-to-day business and
management decision processes. DSS
still faces challenges to full implementation and significant efforts
will be necessary to ensure an appropriate return on our investment.
Thank
you for this opportunity to discuss these very serious IT issues.
I will be happy to answer any questions I can. Back to Witness List |