Welfare computer bill $54 million and counting

Thursday, Nov. 13, 1997 | 9:16 a.m.

The state Board of Examiners has approved the 10th amendment to the state contract with IBM for work on the "Nomads" system. Of the $54 million spent so far, about 77 percent came from the federal government.

State Information Services chief Marlene Lockard says IBM will be training all state employees on how to run the system, and also is mapping out changes needed to incorporate the federal Welfare Reform Act.

A pilot run of Nomads was planned last August. But it has been delayed pending further modifications. Asked when the system might be completed, Lockard said Tuesday she's reluctant to give a date.

But she said that "things are going very well" compared with the past rocky relationship between the state and IBM.

A $12 million agreement between IBM's subsidiary, Integrated Systems Solutions Corp., and the state was approved in August 1992. But Integrated Systems said it couldn't complete the project without another $7 million because the work was more than anticipated.

Integrated Systems eventually dropped out and IBM took over the contract. Under the new contract, IBM will put in 28,160 hours by March 31 at $94.50 an hour.

A 30-day test run of the system was conducted earlier this year but sample welfare cases used didn't go through. IBM is now working out bugs in the system and designing a "road map" on system changes to comply with the federal Welfare Reform Act.

"Welfare reform was the monkey wrench," Lockard said, adding that the whole public support system was changed toward the end of development.

Where minor changes can be made, IBM will make them now. But the major changes will be made in the future after the current contract expires.

"The task now is to determine the future timetable, how long it will take, how much it will cost and what must be incorporated," Lockard said.