Federal managers and computer programmers are preparing to work through the New Year's 2000 weekend to ensure the year 2000 computer problem does not disrupt government operations.
Officials from the Office of Management and Budget and five key agencies detailed their plans for responding to Y2K-related computer failures at a House hearing on Y2K Friday.
John Spotila, administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget, said 99 percent of the federal government's mission-critical systems are now Y2K compliant. Every agency was required to submit a business continuity and contingency plan for getting their systems through the Y2K weekend, he said.
Top information technology officials from the Defense and Energy departments, the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration and the Postal Service assured Rep. Connie Morella, R-Md., chairwoman of the House Science Committee's Technology Subcommittee, that their employees were making extensive efforts to keep services operational after the century change.
John Dyer, principal deputy commissioner at the Social Security Administration, said SSA will shut down its computers earlier than usual on Thursday, Dec. 30 (Friday, Dec. 31 is a federal holiday). During the night and into Friday, SSA will update its master files and complete processing of 1999 transactions. On Friday, the main data center in Baltimore will shift to generators powered by jet fuel until the power company ensures that the power grid is successfully through the transition.
Immediately after the New Year begins, SSA computer programmers will begin running through all the agency's systems. Managers will report to their offices on Saturday to make sure all their equipment is running. All of the efforts will be coordinated at a command center in Baltimore.
"On Monday morning, Jan. 3, Social Security will open for business as usual," Dyer said.
Joel Willemssen, director for civil agencies information systems at the General Accounting Office, said agencies need to improve their Y2K continuity and contingency plans. Only 40 percent of the plans GAO reviewed addressed all seven elements of a sound plan, Willemssen said.
The seven elements are:
- A schedule of activities
- Personnel on call or on duty
- Contractor readiness and availability
- Communications with the workforce
- Facilities and services to support the workforce
- Security
- Communications with the public
The overall federal Y2K communications effort will be led by an Information Coordination Center, headed by former Army Lt. Gen. Peter Kind.
There are 60 days left until Jan. 1, 2000.