BILL ANALYSIS
By: Pitts
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
House Bill 1516, passed by the 79th Legislature, enacted the Texas Project Delivery Framework. The Framework provides guidance for the delivery of major information technology projects, by requiring development of a business case, analysis of a project's statewide impact, and an evaluation following project implementation. Currently, state law also requires an Electronic Government Program Management Office within the Department of Information Resources, whose purpose is to "direct and facilitate the implementation of electronic government projects."
This bill makes existing statutes consistent with the changes made in House Bill 1516 and the creation of the Texas Project Delivery Network.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Department of Information Resources in SECTION 3 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
This bill amends the Government Code by amending the requirement for state agencies to report to the Department of Information Resources (department). The bill strikes the requirement to include a list compiled by the department's program management office of electronic government projects.
Throughout the bill, references to the department's program management office are eliminated, and conforming changes are made that renames "quality assurance" to "project management practices." The bill requires that state agencies evaluate and report to the quality assurance team on whether projects meet the agency's objectives.
The bill defines "project management practices," which includes the documented and repeatable methods that a state agency uses to apply knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to satisfy project activity requirements. The bill specifies that all projects must be managed using the project management practices. The bill strikes the term and definition of "internal quality assurance procedures."
The department must establish guidelines for project management practices that take into account varying levels of project size and complexity. When developing the guidelines, the department must: consult with state agencies; and accommodate existing project management practices of state agencies. The bill strikes the requirements for guidelines for "internal quality assurance procedures."
The bill states that each state agency is required to manage information resources projects based on practices that are consistent with the department's guidelines under Section 2054.153 of the Government Code. An agency's information resources manager is required to oversee the implementation of the agency's project management practices.
After implementation of a major project, an agency must provide a post-implementation review to the agency's executive director and the quality assurance team. The department and the state auditor's office are removed as required recipients of this review.
The changes made by this Act apply only to an information resources project implemented on or after September 1, 2007. An information resources project implemented before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the project was implemented, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
The guidelines must be adopted and program established, as required by Sections 2054.153 and 2054.154 of the Government Code, by the department by October 1, 2007. Each state agency is required to comply the guidelines adopted by the department under Section 2054.153 of the Government Code, not later than November 1, 2007.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.
COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE
The Substitute differs from the original by establishing two requirements for the Department of Information Resources to develop guidelines. The requirements for project management practices must consult with state agencies and accommodate existing project management practices of state agencies.