This should come as NO SURPRISE to anyone who has been following this
project and/or is impacted by Federal recordkeeping requirements.  And if
you've had your ears open and heard about the FBI's VCF, now Sentinel
projects... well, this is no different.

1) Federal Agencies do not know how to write a scope statement for a project
of this magnitude
2) Federal Agencies are horrible at funding multi-year projects
3) Federal Agencies are notoriously horrible at managing ANY projects
4) Certain Contractors have made their bacon off of this knowledge for
DECADES, not just on IT projects, but on MANY others
5) There is no long-term consistency in staff managing projects within
Federal Agencies 

Certain Contractors have learned to look for large projects that are poorly
scoped and then they underbid the projects to win them.  Immediately they
begin pointing out the things that are 'missing' to be able to complete the
project, and offer to include those features.  They submit scope change
requests, accompanied with budget requests, and notifications that the
schedule will slip (unless they are allowed to add additional staff) which
further increases costs.  This is where the profit comes from, so the
underbid was just a means of getting their foot in the door, and sadly, it
works.

If you look at the comments submitted by many on this article (aside from
those who want to blame it on politics), you'll see many see it this way...
because it happens across ALL Federal Agencies.  The cause?  A failure to
properly analyze the system/s the projects are related to resulting in a
solid scope statement and the ability to prepare a solid Functional
Requirements Document (FRD) to then request bids from.

At least if this is the starting point, the likelihood of being distracted
by 'something shiny' as an addition to scope is reduced.  This would involve
the implementation of the "Nancy Reagan Rule"- JUST SAY NO when a Contractor
offers a scope change that bends the original project beyond the intended
scope.  Don't lose sight of the end goal, don't ask for more $$, and HOLD
THE CONTRACTOR ACCOUNTABLE for failing to meet objectives and milestones in
the contract.

Larry
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