Virtual Case Files -- Project Triology
| 2013 | | |
[Trilogy Case] | Virtual Case File |
Executive Summary The FBI Information Technology Upgrade Project (FITUP) was initiated in 2000, and, after five years of cascading problems, was abandoned for the Sentinel project in 2005. Estimated to cost $170M, VCF went over budget by approximately $330M (Nelson 2007). The project was meant to modernize the FBI’s antiquated computer system and included “a case management system, an evidence management system, and a records management system” (Marchewka 2010). As we will discuss in the course of our case study, the Trilogy Project would fail for a number of reasons. Despite failing, Project Trilogy is not alone when it comes to project management blunders. According to the Standish Group’s CHAOS report, only 16% of application development projects succeeded. The numbers gathered in 1995 report an astounding number of projects fail or are canceled before they can be completed. Project Trilogy was canceled before completion due to multiple problems that continued to grow and could not be rectified by the implementation of new, stricter project guidelines. As we will see in the Planning Phase, there were problems concerning mission/vision, program and cultural alignment, scope creep, change control, and inconsistent leadership. In the Execution Phase, we will discuss why the project implementation failed. Due to a lack of cost controls, the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) began to spend money on employees that were unnecessary (Marchewka 2010). As each new manager came to the project, they brought with them their own specifications. This scope creep lead to an increase in production time as well as in costs. These new leaders were under-qualified for the project management position. You will see that Trilogy failed due to lack of objectives, leadership, communication, and accountability.
Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Planning 4 Execution 8
[Trilogy Case] | Virtual Case File |
Executive Summary The FBI Information Technology Upgrade Project (FITUP) was initiated in 2000, and, after five years of cascading problems, was abandoned for the Sentinel project in 2005. Estimated to cost $170M, VCF went over budget by approximately $330M (Nelson 2007). The project was meant to modernize the FBI’s antiquated computer system and included “a case management system, an evidence management system, and a records management system” (Marchewka 2010). As we will discuss in the course of our case study, the Trilogy Project would fail for a number of reasons. Despite failing, Project Trilogy is not alone when it comes to project management blunders. According to the Standish Group’s CHAOS report, only 16% of application development projects succeeded. The numbers gathered in 1995 report an astounding number of projects fail or are canceled before they can be completed. Project Trilogy was canceled before completion due to multiple problems that continued to grow and could not be rectified by the implementation of new, stricter project guidelines. As we will see in the Planning Phase, there were problems concerning mission/vision, program and cultural alignment, scope creep, change control, and inconsistent leadership. In the Execution Phase, we will discuss why the project implementation failed. Due to a lack of cost controls, the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) began to spend money on employees that were unnecessary (Marchewka 2010). As each new manager came to the project, they brought with them their own specifications. This scope creep lead to an increase in production time as well as in costs. These new leaders were under-qualified for the project management position. You will see that Trilogy failed due to lack of objectives, leadership, communication, and accountability.
Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Planning 4 Execution 8
Bibliography: Fine, Glenn A. Inspector General, U.S. Department of Justice before the Senate Committee on appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary concerning The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Project Goldstein, Harry. “Who Killed the Virtual Case File?” ieee Spectrum. 2005 Marchewka, Jack T. “The FBI Virtual Case File: A Case Study”. Communications of the IIMA, Volume 10, Issue 2. Northern Illinois University. 2010 McGroddy, J. C. & Lin, H. S., Eds. (2004). A Review of the FBI’s Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Program. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10991.html. Nelson, R. Ryan. “IT Project Management: Infamous Failures, Classic Mistakes, and Best Practices”. MIS Quarterly Executive Vol. 6 No. 2 / June 2007. University of Minnesota. 2007 United States Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division. (2002). Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Management of Information Technology Investments (OIG Audit Report 03-09). Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/fbi.htm. United States Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Audit Division. (2005). Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Management of the Trilogy Information Technology Modernization Project (OIG Audit Report 05-07). Retrieved from http://www.justice.gov/oig/reports/fbi.htm.