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A Report on Analysis of Quality Assurance Team Projects

February 2014

Report Number 14-020

Overall Conclusion

The State Auditor’s Office analyzed eight major information system development projects at six state agencies. At the request of the State’s Quality Assurance Team (QAT), those eight projects were selected because the agencies had reported the projects were complete, were nearing completion, or were identified as high-risk projects.

It is important to note that the agencies self-reported the information in this report, and the State Auditor's Office did not independently verify that information.

At the time of the State Auditor’s Office’s analysis, four of the eight projects were complete, three were in process, and one was closed early without completing the full project scope. The eight projects were:

- The Department of Aging and Disability Services’ (DADS) Single Service Authorization System project.

- The Department of State Health Services’ (DSHS) Women Infants and Children Information System project.

- The Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Environmental Compliance Oversight System project.

- TxDOT’s Mainframe Application Modernization Roadmap project.

- The Health and Human Services Commission’s (HHSC) Enterprise Security Improvement project.

- HHSC’s High Availability Medical Application project.

- The Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Crime Victims Claims Legacy Workflow System project.

- The Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Public Education Information Management System Redesign 3 project.

As Table 1 and Table 2 in the report show:

- One project was over budget and was closed early before completing the full project scope (the DADS Single Service Authorization System project).

- One project was projected to be over budget and will not be completed on time (the DSHS Women Infants and Children Information System project).

- One project was over budget and completed on time (the TxDOT Environmental Compliance Oversight System project).

- Three projects were under budget and were not completed or will not be completed on time (the TxDOT Mainframe Application Modernization Roadmap project, the HHSC High Availability Medical Application project, and the TEA Public Education Information Management System Redesign 3 project).

-Two projects were under budget and completed on time (the HHSC Enterprise Security Improvement project and the OAG Crime Victims Claims Legacy Workflow System project).

The OAG completed the Crime Victims Claims Legacy Workflow System project under budget and on time. That project has received three awards. According to the OAG, that project was successful because:

- The project scope was clear and did not expand.

- The project had strong executive sponsorship.

- The project identified and included the correct subject matter experts.

In analyzing the eight projects, auditors also noted the following:

- Agencies did not always report project costs in accordance with the cost-reporting requirements in the Department of Information Resources’ Texas Project Delivery Framework.

- Some agencies incorrectly reported the estimated percentage of project completion based on total project budget expended, rather than estimated work completed.

- Some agencies based estimated project completion time lines on project funding dates, rather than actual anticipated project completion dates.

- Agencies did not always submit required reports to the QAT in a timely manner.

Contact the SAO about this report.

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