Immigration applications going electronic

IBM has a pretty good idea of what it is getting into when it won the Homeland Security Department's Citizenship and Immigration Services contract to modernize immigration benefit application processing.

Under the five-year, $491 million contract, CIS wants IBM to help speed up how fast the agency makes determinations about immigration benefits, reduces identity fraud and decreases the processing time and existing backlogs.

CIS processes between six million and eight million immigration benefit applications a year for work visas and legal permanent residence and citizenship.

The agency's current system is paper based that has led to a huge backlog over the last decade. CIS reduced the backlog from almost 4 million to just over 1 million in 2007, according to CIS's Ombudsman report to Congress.

"Moving from paper is not just as easy as implementing technology," says Dave Abel, IBM's vice president for homeland security.

"It takes a top down commitment to change processes. In order to be successful, you need to involve a lot of people, some in government and some in the community."

Abel adds that the goal is to have effective communication and clear timelines and plans of when new capabilities will be in place to ensure everyone is on the same page and has the same expectations.

"It is our intention and CIS's to introduce new technology and new processes throughout the five-year period of time in a manner that can be effectively rolled out in the organization so they are not disruptive," Abel says.

"We can make implementation of new technology and removal of paper as easy and as seamless as possible."

Abel says IBM will use its experience converting paper processes to electronic ones with the Australian government immigration program, and its work with DHS's Custom and Border Protection's Automated Customs Environment (ACE) program.

Both programs required similar work and considerations, Abel says.

Under ACE, IBM has been moving paper processes for functions like trade manifests and monthly billing statements and a Cargo Systems Messaging Service.

The CIS deal was IBM's second big DHS win in the last few months. In September, FEMA hired IBM to provide IT services under a $915 million deal.

IBM beat out Accenture and CSC for the CIS contract.

"We believe this project will serve as an important model for other agencies seeking to transform the delivery of important government services," says Charles Prow, managing partner of IBM's Global Business Services, Government division in a release.

"CIS will employ new tools to support benefits adjudication, and ultimately, improve their customers' experience navigating the immigration process."

IBM's team includes Blackstone Technology Group, Deloitte Consulting, EDS, Evolver, The Legacy Network, Sandler and Travis Trade Advisory Services, Sapient Corporation, SI International, Unisys and Visionary Integration Professionals.

CIS will not be without its challenges. The Government Accountability Office in 2007 found that its efforts to modernize over the last four years have been unfocused, conducted in an ad hoc and decentralized manner, and, in certain instances, duplicative.

GAO says DHS has addressed some of its concerns by establishing a Transformation Program Office, but more needs to be done especially around performance measurement and technology management.

A CIS spokeswoman says the directorate would not comment on the award to IBM.

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On the Web:

DHS - CIS Transformation business case

GAO - USCIS Transformation: Improvements to Performance, Human Capital, and Information Technology Management Needed as Modernization Proceeds

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