"A CALL TO ACTION" Y2K WHITEPAPER by Paula Gordon
gwu.edu
It can readily be argued that keeping the whole truth from the people amounts to being deceptive. The following quote addresses the effects that efforts to deceive can have:
"Do not deceive other people. By deceiving them, you are creating a false world for them." from ETHICS ON THE JOB by Pfeiffer and Fosberg
Paula has served in a variety of roles in the Federal government and in the private sector. These roles have ranged from founder and president of a non-profit organization to consultant and contractor, staff officer, troubleshooter, program and policy analyst, comparative scenario analyst, director of special projects, and university instructor.
She was a staff officer and troubleshooter at the Federal Energy Office during the energy crisis of 1974 and played an instrumental role in bringing about an early resolution of the Independent Truckers' Strike.
While at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, she developed issue and options papers in a wide range of issues areas relating to reorientation of national civil preparedness and nuclear attack preparedness efforts. Subsequently she has drafted works on emergency medical preparedness and on the societal aspects of disaster recovery in the aftermath of declared disasters.
At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, she carried out public liaison and policy analyst roles in variety of issue areas relating to the environment, environmental health, and agency Superfund responsibilities.
Other affiliations have included the National Institute of Mental Health, the Research Applied to National Needs Program of the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations. She ran for Congress in the San Francisco Bay Area receiving key support at the local, state, and national levels.
She is currently drafting a White Paper on major national and global initiatives needed to address the Year 2000 and date-sensitive embedded systems problems. She is urging the immediate establishment of an office within the Executive Office of the President that would have the responsibility, resources, and authority to take action regarding the full spectrum of concerns involving national as well as global Y2K challenges and threats. Date-sensitive embedded systems will be given substantial attention.
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EXCERPT
What is Involved in Addressing a Problem as Complex as Y2K?
Adequate problem definition is of critical importance to effective efforts to address any complex societal problem. Elements critical to the effectiveness of addressing complex problems can be seen to include all of the following:
- an adequate definition of the problem
- identification of viable alternatives to addressing the problem
- the availability and dedication of resources needed to address the problem
- the capacity to orchestrate, administer, and manage those resources
- the exercise of leadership, vision, initiative, a sense of responsibility, commitment, commonsense, ingenuity, and creativity.
In order to be as effective as possible in addressing a complex societal problem, all of these five general categories of elements need to be in evidence.
The Status of Federal Efforts as of February 16, 1999
As of February 16, 1999, adequate human and fiscal resources have not been made available to address the Y2K problem in a comprehensive way. In addition, only eleven full time professionals were staffing the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion.
The Y2K problem is destined to have greater impacts nationally and globally than the drug problem that has plagued the nation since the 1960s. The Y2K problem is destined to pose far greater threats to the economy and the nation's infrastructure and national security than did the energy crisis of the 1970s. While these two complex societal problems have had special offices established within the Executive Office of the President, no similar viable, proactive, problem solving and crisis-oriented structure has been established to address the Y2K problem.
Federal efforts, as they are currently structured, are not designed for quick, proactive, and decisive action. Indeed Federal efforts, as described in the President's Council Report, the Council states that "The Y2K problem is solvable". The Report was released on January 7, 1999 and can be found at y2k.gov
As described in the Report, Federal efforts have focused on information gathering, creating awareness for the need for remediation efforts, monitoring progress, encouraging contingency planning, and promoting and coordinating related activities. The fiscal resources, human resources, expertise, and full time commitment of those addressing those involved in Federal efforts to date have been lacking.
But more importantly, the assumption that the problem is solvable indicates that the problem definition is focused on the IT aspect of the problem. Adequate fiscal resources, human resources, and expertise to address all aspects of the Y2K problem are all missing. |
