PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND IV&V

CAPABILITIES

We help government agencies manage large information technology (IT) programs and ensure that they meet government requirements.

Program Planning

Effective planning is the best way to minimize program risk and ensure that programs and systems are implemented on time and within budget. We leverage our extensive experience in managing large IT programs to develop program plans, resource estimates, and detailed schedules that minimize risk. We analyze requirements and reengineer approaches using new processes and technologies, survey markets, assess systems, and analyze the economics of emerging technologies.  

Technology Assessments and Analysis of Alternatives

Effective use of scarce financial and staff resources requires agencies to explore all potential approaches for meeting functional requirements. We are experienced in technology research and assessments and utilize well-defined processes to help agencies evaluate a range of alternatives and select and document the most effective for their requirements.

Risk Assessments

Today's IT initiatives are fast-paced, complex, highly visible, and often risky. LMI helps federal managers assess and mitigate program risks, regardless of their stage in the system life cycle, using our innovative Program Risk and Evaluation (PRE™) tool. We routinely use PRE to systematically identify, analyze, and communicate risks associated with complex software-related projects and programs.

IT Acquisition Support

We provide comprehensive acquisition support to our clients and have broad expertise in developing requests for proposals (RFPs), source-selection plans, and technical, management, cost, and past performance evaluation plans. We assist our clients in developing RFPs—and supporting efforts such as requests for information (RFIs) and industry days—that clearly communicate their requirements to the vendor community and promote quality proposals. With our source-selection experience, we can help clients use a number of techniques, such as oral presentations, demonstrations, and determining a competitive range, to perform thorough and well-documented source selections of the most qualified vendor.

DoD 5000 Support

The Department of Defense (DoD) 5000 series of regulations describe detailed procedures, processes, and extensive documentation requirements for DoD program offices that require major IT systems. We are experts in developing documentation that meets DoD 5000 series regulations for both Acquisition Category (ACAT) I and III systems. We have worked extensively with the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) staff to plan large IT programs efficiently and effectively. Our experienced staff uses existing templates and experience to develop the documentation, freeing up critical agency staff. We can assist the agency in using the DoD 5000 documents to be program drivers rather than simply meeting a DoD mandate. We also support Investment Review Board (IRB) and Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA) reporting requirements.

Program Support

We establish trusted partnerships with our clients and support them through the entire system life cycle, from concept development through system disposal, helping them manage earned value, resources, and risk and comply with federal mandates. We also help federal managers integrate functional, technical, cost, and schedule information and coordinate with key stakeholders across the agency.

Independent Verification and Validation

To ensure that government managers have the best information to make decisions, agencies often establish or modify policies and procedures, launch initiatives, or acquire new systems. LMI is highly skilled at verifying and validating that those policies, initiatives, and systems are consistent with agency strategies, comply with federal mandates, support business needs, and meet contractual requirements. Our clients rely on us to conduct numerous independent verification and validation (IV&V) activities, such as monitoring and assessing system testing, reviewing and editing Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Exhibit 300s, evaluating agency policies, and recommending improvements to deployment processes and training programs. As a not-for-profit firm, we are uniquely qualified for this work because we strictly avoid conflicts of interest and provide the objectivity that results from deliberate efforts not to pursue large system integration and software development projects. We also emphasize establishing an attentive, yet collegial, relationship with system developers and integrators when we provide IV&V services, focusing on achieving the government's objectives, not finding flaws in contractor performance. To support these efforts, LMI has developed a comprehensive process, called INDEPTH™, for providing IV&V services at three levels: agency, project, and system.

CLIENTS AND SOLUTIONS

CMS—Detecting Fraud and Abuse

Fraud and abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid programs may cost the government several billion dollars each year. To help solve this problem, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented the One Program Integrity (One PI) project. One PI will—for the first time—provide a centralized source of Medicaid data standardized across multiple states and integrated with data from Medicare Parts A, B, and D. One PI also will provide a variety of tools to facilitate consistent, reliable, and timely analyses—by both the states and the CMS Medicare and Medicaid programs—of the tremendous volume of data on claims, providers, and beneficiaries.

LMI is providing strategic, technical, and program management support to the One PI program. We developed the business case for implementation, monitor the program plans and earned value management (EVM) submissions, develop and analyze contract documents, and participate in technical, data, and operational design activities.

One PI will gather data from a wide variety of sources such as the Integrated Data Repository (which stores certain types of Medicare Part A, B, and D information) and state Medicaid programs, transform the data into standard data models, integrate the information, and store it in the One PI Data Repository (ODR). Users—CMS and the states—will access the information through a secure portal, using a standard set of analytic tools. Initially, One PI will include data from just a few states. In time, it will add new data sources, such as more states or more reference data, and new applications. These new data sources and tools will provide CMS with a richer data environment and will give One PI users new capabilities. For example, states will be able to identify episodes of care and potential fraud perpetrated across multiple government programs.

DeCA—Establishing a Point-of-Sale System

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) provides high-quality groceries at low prices to military personnel, retirees, and their families through more than 250 stores around the world. Over the past 14 years, LMI has helped DeCA acquire and field three generations of a point-of-sale (POS) systems. We are currently supporting the third generation POS system—the Commissary Advance Resale Transaction System (CARTS). CARTS is the first ACAT 1A system to pass the new DoD 5000 process from inception through Milestone C. We helped DeCA write DoD 5000 documents, participated in OSD reviews, prepared financial data, developed the RFP and other acquisition documents, and participated in the source-selection process, which resulted in an award of more than $200 million to a commercial vendor. We are currently assisting the DeCA project manager with fielding, testing, and IV&V support.

CMS—Developing and Implementing an Integrated Accounting System

CMS administers the Medicare and Medicaid programs, using automated systems to support both the claims processing and accounting functions required to administer those programs. The systems that support Medicare-processing accounting functions are separate from the system that supports the CMS administrative accounting functions. CMS is replacing the existing systems that perform the accounting functions with one integrated accounting system, known as the Healthcare Integrated General Ledger System (HIGLAS). This system will improve CMS’s ability to process both Medicare and administrative accounting data.

HIGLAS will replace all of the current automated accounting systems, and many of the manual processes, used in CMS’s administrative financial management operations and by the Medicare contractors that manage the benefits and process claims for Medicare services. In addition, because the existing Medicare contractor systems do not meet many Joint Financial Management Improvement Program (JFMIP) and other requirements, the HIGLAS project will result in improved and reengineered processes for the accounting for Medicare benefit dollars. The cost of the program is now expected to exceed $1 billion.

LMI has supported the HIGLAS project since its inception in September 2000. We began with the RFP and related acquisition documents, assisted with the acquisition of the systems integrator, and have continued with program management and other support since contract award. We have provided functional expertise in the design and implementation of federal financial systems; technical expertise in all aspects of software, operations and testing; and a variety of program management support, from developing new contract documents to planning and monitoring implementation activities.

Department of State—Managing the Supply Chain

The Department of State operates embassies and consulates in every country on the globe. This global presence requires the acquisition, tracking, and management of property and personnel effects on a large scale. Over the last seven years, LMI has assisted the Department of State in developing, testing, and implementing a global, enterprise-wide, supply chain management system. The system, called the Integrated Logistics Management System (ILMS), is based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products from PeopleSoft and CGI’s Momentum Acquisitions package. ILMS implementation will result in the retirement of 20 stovepipe legacy systems and provide end-to-end supply chain visibility for all capitalized assets. Accenture National Security Services (ANSS) is the systems integrator. LMI has provided IV&V testing and program management expertise, guiding the department on the implementation and use of earned value management techniques outlined in ANSI/EIA-748-A-1998 (R2002). With a projected life-cycle cost of more than $200 million through fiscal year 2011, ILMS is one of a handful of major IT initiatives at the Department of State and the most significant investment of the Bureau of Administration. LMI’s assistance has helped the Department of State maintain ILMS schedules and implement ILMS with less than 3 percent cost and schedule variance. LMI has analyzed risks, prepared program management plans, developed and implemented award fee plans, and contributed to the formation of a performance-based contract scheduled for award in 2008.