Future clarity (more or less)

When I was reassigned as a Project Manager at work last year, one of my prime responsibilities was to shepherd the implementation of CADDIS, the California Developmentally Disabilties Information System, for which the state had spent something like $20 million in hard costs. There have been at least that much in in-kind costs spent by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and the 21 regional centers in the state.

In December, an independent assessment of the project reported that there were serious enough problems that the project should be put on hold while DDS and Department of Finance, and other stakeholders reviewed the situation. Suddenly, a deadline of a March 20, 2006 implementation for our center was no longer there. That was a relief but also a big question mark for my future. Other projects have come my way and I have been busy enough. But the question of CADDIS was very much up in the air.

Although DDS put the project on hold, they cannot unilaterally begin again because of the significant costs involved. They along with the Department of Finance are now recommending some additional studies and evaluations as well as a complete revamping of the roll-out plan including training of 5,800 regional center employees. These additional costs would amount to something like $15 million for the contractor and $20 million for state and regional center employees. If these additional studies confirm that it makes sense for CADDIS to proceed, regional centers will again be tooling up for implementation which will take place in early 2008.

So, the future clarity is that I will have little to do with CADDIS for at least another year. The unclarity is, of course, that with $35 million on the table, the legislature may still have second thoughts about going ahead with CADDIS at all. I'm not at all sure how many special projects the regional center can afford for me to get involved with but it looks like I'll have the time.