VA's time line

The VA's current financial management system is a conglomeration of 48 systems.

Integrated Financial/Logistics Management Standards (IFMS) is a project to

streamline the systems into one complete package. The time line for the project

is:

Phase One: The VA identified critical requirements of current VA processes and

reviewed whether commercial off-the-shelf products exist that can support those

requirements. A cost-benefit analysis was presented to the VA's internal

Capital Investment Board, which approved the IFMS project Sept. 1, 1999. A

budget request to fund the project for fiscal 2001 was included in the

department's request to the Office of Management and Budget.

Phase Two: The VA is preparing the request for comment and request for

procurement. Booz-Allen &Hamilton Inc. will facilitate the business process

re-engineering in these areas: accounting/general ledger, budget, contract

management, purchasing, payment management, inventory management, asset

management, receivables processing, debt management, travel and grants. Also, a

series of data surveys will be sent to the owners of about 60 systems asking

for their data dictionary and design documents.

Phase Three: The procurement effort will begin with the September 2000 release

of the RFP. A group of experts will examine the products and rank them. The

recommendations and analyses of the procurement team will be made to the

secretary of Veterans Affairs, who will decide by about April 2001 what

product(s) the department will acquire.

Phase Four: In about October 2002, the VA will begin a phased implementation of

selected products. The system will be tailored, if necessary, to handle the

newly re-engineered processes. The target completion date is September 2003.