Several news organizations such as CBSNews.com are reporting that the FBI’s $170 million dollar computer database system, designed by Science Applications International Corp. of San Diego to give agents the latest cutting-edge information on terrorists, is a complete flop. As the article notes,

[The system], intended to give FBI agents and analysts an instantaneous and paperless way to manage criminal and terrorism cases, is headed back to the drawing board, probably at a much steeper cost to taxpayers. . . An Inspector General’s report about to be released says the centerpiece of the FBI’s half billion dollar technological overhaul is a bust. . .

The system, labeled the “Virtual Case File,” is still not ready -- but already obsolete. One official calls it 2001 software … with “a number of deficiencies” and security flaws. . . The FBI is hoping to salvage some parts of the project. But officials acknowledged Thursday that it is possible the entire system is so inadequate and outdated that one will have to be built from scratch.

Isn’t that nice. Another example of your tax dollars at work.

Having worked at the Center for Technology in Government at SUNY Albany, we studied cases like this all the time. I can bet that what went wrong are the same things that always seem to go wrong with these kinds of complex, elaborate, top-down information technology projects all the time -- namely, top officials had one idea about how the system should work, the company designing the system had their own ideas, and frontline agents and other workers who deal with these issues on an everyday basis had a different idea. These frontline personnel were never consulted about what they actually needed to help them do their jobs better.

Instead, top officials imposed this new system on them, the frontline personnel resisted, and the new system was not adequately designed to interact smoothly with existing systems, workflows, and emerging requirements that it share information with other agencies. Like I said, it happens all the freaking time. You would think that for once, somebody would learn these lessons once and for all and do it right the first time, before millions of taxpayer dollars are wasted.

Like I say all the time (probably too often) -- absolutely unbelieveable!