I can believe it

"The federal government is at least four to five years behind when it comes to the personal security and data protection of Canadians," said a computer security expert on Don Martin's 'Power Play'.  He was commenting on yet another breach caused by a public servant who lost a key containing secure information for about 250,000 people.   

I can well believe it.  The last job I had in the CRA was running a national case-management program.  Over the years, the computer system we used became old and not up to the task.  I had the normal, average, everyday, run-of-the-mill, logical, stupid idea to upgrade it -- afterall, we were a small program and all our agents were absolutely top-notch.  How hard could it be?

I found out in a hurry.  Just try dealing with the computer people at the Canada Revenue Agency.  I remember walking naively into one meeting with IT -- all by my lonesome -- and being confronted with....wait for it....18 people!!!!  I counted them.  Naturally nothing got done, there being too many "experts" around the table who kept telling me I couldn't do this....and there was no way I could do that....and they were in the process of reviewing and evaluating the other...and that they might approve it in a hundred years....so, no Nancy, you can't change your system.

I quickly identified the swami of the gang, the genius to whom everyone around the table deferred.  He was the soothsayer, crystal-ball-gazer and chief naysayer.  A typical exchange might go like this:

Swami:  "Well, there is an interesting system out there (everything was "interesting", never any commitment) that might solve your problem.  I have had a number of meetings with the company and it looks good."

Me:  "Gee, it sounds perfect!  When do you think we could get it running nationally?"

Swami:  "Well, the problem is there is another very interesting system in development that might be a better fit.  I had a meeting with Joe-blow-computer-guy the other day and I was impressed."

Me:  "Oh."

Swami:  "It might be ready for testing in 2,500, so we can re-evaluate then."

So, there he was, 10 years ahead of everyone in the ether, but absolutely no help to anyone in the "now".  In the meantime, no new system for my agents.  That was pretty much how every meeting went.    

To add insult to injury, as he was telling you you could not get anywhere, you knew that any system you might eventually get, you paid for every cent of it -- all salary dollars, everything.  I always wondered what those guys got paid to do??  I mean, they all got good salaries, for what?  To go to meetings and tell program managers what they could not do?? 

Hate be so negative about it all, but they definitely were not "client-oriented", as a service branch must be.  I was trying to help the staff in the trenches work with our clients to be sure the latter paid their taxes and received their entitlements, but it was tough slogging.

So, yes, I can see why the feds are five years behind.  Too many fingers in too many pies and way too much navel gazing.

Epilogue:  Eventually word got out that I was desperately seeking a solution to my problem and I was contacted by a clever guy from Appeals.  He had made an end run around IT and purchased a bootleg national case-management system that was perfect for our needs.  We went with that and it's still humming along to this day.  Amen.   

(Note:  With apologies to my colleagues who worked in IT and who presumably believed they had to do what they had to do.  Nothing personal.)