Mission impossible? The state's Y2K plan.

• Author: Middleton, Saundra
• Position: Alaska's initiatives for the year 2000 computer problem

With a price tag of $25 million and only a year to go, can the state possibly get mission-critical systems Y2K-compliant before the turn of the century?

Declaring the Year 2000 problem as one that poses serious potential risks for the State of Alaska and all Alaskans, Gov. Tony Knowles signed an administrative order stating Y2K compliance to be a priority of the highest level for the executive branch.

The directives of Administrative Order No. 177, signed in August and sent to all state agencies, prioritizes fixing Y2K problems and defines Y2K responsibilities. The plan requires the administration to act "as if under emergency conditions" and establishes a Y2K project office, which reports to the Office of the Governor, with the project manager as a member of the cabinet.

"The Year 2000 date change problem is already affecting automation systems and the conduct of business worldwide, in both public and private sectors," Knowles stated in the order. "The Y2K problem will increasingly affect automation systems and business operations as Dec. 31, 1199 approaches, and will continue to have substantial effects even beyond the year 2000."

Tackling the state's Y2K problem is no small task. Eighty-six of the state's 199 day-to-day business functions are considered mission critical, to include telecommunication services, AIDEA, loan servicing, Alaska Railroad, Emergency Medical Services, Employment Services, 911 Emergency Dispatch Centers, retiree payroll, the Alaska Pioneer Home, state revenue sharing, and wildland fire suppression systems.

Bob Poe, the state's Y2K project manager, defines mission critical systems as those that, if failure occurs, could negatively impact the life, health, safety, or economic well-being of Alaskans.

Each business function includes several application systems, as well. For instance, one state business function is "Prosecution of Criminals." It has many applications to include the court system and tracking of criminals: their crimes, sentences, housing, trial information....

The state began its Y2K work in early 1997, yet has only completed the inventory process and about 60 percent of the assessment stage. The state still needs to fix the problems, test, and implement.

"It's klickity-klack down the railroad tracks," states Poe, "It's really identifying the most important things first, one step at a time, and working on them." He admits that the state's cleanup effort will extend beyond the date change.

With Order No...