To paraphrase an old saying, a billion here and a billion there and soon, you're talking about real money".
Billion-dollar IT failure at Census Bureau
Posted by Michael Krigsman @ 7:51 pm
The US Census Bureau faces cost overruns up to $2 billion on an IT initiative replacing paper-based data collection methods with specialized handheld devices for the upcoming 2010 census. The Bureau has not implemented longstanding Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations and may therefore be forced to scrap the program. Harris Corp., the contractor associated with this incompetently managed initiative, was awarded a $600 million contract to develop the handhelds and related software.
. . .
Computer World blogger, Frank Hayes, summarized the situation succinctly, "The fancy custom handhelds might work. But if they don't, the Census Bureau will use paper instead."
fair usage quote, rest at the URL
Not much to add other than to say in a world filled with custom wireless PDA solutions that work (WHAT does a UPS or a FedEx delivery driver hand you to sign off a delivery that is not paper?) and smartphones, a government contractor trying to sell us "fancy custom handhelds" instead of COTS devices with a track record, it is indeed time to start analyzing that contract, and find out who needs to be fired in the group that reviewed Harris's proposal and who should simply be demoted. And start asking the question "should Harris be debarred from future government contracts?"
If I were doing this, I'd probably go with a Nokia N800 and a Bluetooth mobile phone for field data collection... use 802.11b wireless if available and a cellular network if not. Plenty of screen area for a touchscreen, pocket-sized if you've got a large pocket, the Linux base OS gives plenty of room for customized software.
I actually have done field work for the census, and this done right could be a lot easier to handle than paper. Of course, since this is the Bush Administration, "done wrong at great profit to a Bush crony" is the default assumption.