State sector under hammer on Y2K

By Adam Gifford

That State Services Commission will give some state sector chief executives a grilling before Christmas because it's not satisfied they're doing enough to tackle the year 2000 computer bug.

Deputy commissioner Ross Tanner said he had serious concerns about "a handful" of agencies arising out of independent quality assurance reviews of state sector year 2000 programmes, ordered by the Government in September.

The commission has also asked Government for extra money to take on more staff to monitor progress.

It currently has just one person wading through reports on 58 "high impact" agencies where the commission judged failures caused by computer systems being unable to cope with the century roll over could affect public safety or essential government processes.

Because of this a comprehensive report on the reviews, initially intended to be with minister this year, won't be out until February.

"We have to go through those independent assessments line by line to see if any gaps and develop any follow up questions," Mr Tanner said.

"The responses we are getting back give us a reasonable degree of comfort but we are not being complacent. We realise we have to put in a lot more resource than anticipated."

Mr Tanner said where there are concerns agencies will be quizzed on whether they have completed an inventory of date dependent technology, identified mission critical systems and put contingency plans in place.

"With a couple of organisations, we are not satisfied they have a proper strategy in place," Mr Tanner said.

He said if he doesn't get the right answers from the chief executives he will be raising the issues with the appropriate ministers.

Mr Tanner refused to say which departments are causing concern, but he confirmed the police are being watched because of the Incis computer system, which is supposed to replace non compliant applications running on the Wanganui computer, isn't due to be finished until later in the year - although EDS has which runs the service is also working on making the system Y2K compliant as a safeguard to Incis not being ready in time.

"We are watching the whole justice sector closely. A lot depends on what the police are doing."

He was also "not entirely comfortable" with progress in all hospitals.

"I'm not a doom merchant. On the other hand I hope as result of the work we are doing now I can come back to Government in February say there are programmes in place across the board."

The commission wants all departments to have their systems fixed and in place by the end of June 1999.

Meanwhile, Ross Stewart from recruitment consultants Wilson White said immigration changes aimed at making it easier for IT specialists to come to New Zealand for y2k work may be misplaced.

Mr Stewart said there isn't a shortage of IT professionals here to do the work.

"While it is true there are people travelling to Europe, they are being forced out of New Zealand though lack of work rather than being attracted by high salaries there," Mr Stewart said.