Rumor Has It: Examining the Possible Impact of HB 1216 on the MOSAIC Project

by Lynn Moore and Francesca Zahrai, MOSAIC communication team

As some OKDHS employees may have heard, there is legislation that specifically mentions the MOSAIC project. Oklahoma House Bill 1216, section 7 said, “The Department of Human Services shall not proceed with undertaking of the Mosaic IT Project beyond the initial planning phase already approved by the federal government without the passage of a resolution by the Oklahoma Legislature to continue this project.”

At first glance, this statement might look somewhat ominous. However, knowing that MOSAIC is a long-term project that is expected to take eight years to complete and that funding for those eight years is dependent on an initial investment of Oklahoma state funds, it is not surprising that a project of this magnitude requires the support of the Oklahoma Legislature. The MOSAIC project team has always understood involvement of the Oklahoma Legislature would be needed.

While MOSAIC is not just an information technology project, a large part of successfully implementing this project is the upgrade of the OKDHS technology infrastructure. In order to replace some outdated applications still in use (including FACS, KIDS, OSIS and PS2) with up-to-date, integrated, Web-based, easier to maintain applications, the IT upgrade is a must.

OKDHS staff strives to provide the best services possible, even though they are frequently tasked to do more with less. While the commitment to excellence is strong, there is only so much that can be done when the tools used are no longer appropriate. Some of the applications still in use are more than 30 years old, which is well past their intended technological life span. The technical expertise to maintain and support these relics is becoming increasingly harder to find, since technical schools and colleges no longer train students on this technology.

“Our staff has worked miracles with the tools we have, but our current tools are running on borrowed time and hiring new talent is becoming increasingly difficult,” explained Sarjoo Shah, director, OKDHS Data Services Division.

Despite the rumors that have cropped up since HB 1216, the MOSAIC team continues to work through planning activities which are expected to continue through the first quarter of 2010 and the project continues to receive support from within OKDHS. The director and sponsors of the MOSAIC project understand that OKDHS staff and the people of Oklahoma deserve better. To accomplish this objective, OKDHS staff must be equipped with the tools and systems required to provide the services and support needed by the clients they serve.

The federal partners associated with the MOSAIC project also continue to support the project. They urge other states who are considering similar projects first consult with the MOSAIC team, because “Oklahoma is doing it right.” OKDHS welcomes the legislature's continued endorsement of this most worthy project through the implementation phase and is working toward that end. 

OKDHS employees who would like to learn more about the MOSAIC project may visit the MOSAIC page on the OKDHS employee InfoNet, or they may e-mail: DHS.MOSAIC.Contact@okdhs.org