TxDOT Considers Outsourcing IT
The Texas Department of Transportation might transfer its information technology needs to private firms, the agency confirmed Thursday — signaling an interest in expanding its outsourcing of the agency's services.
TxDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson sent an email to TxDOT employees Thursday notifying staff that the agency had requested proposals from private firms to improve the agencies’ IT function.
“Quite simply, we should always be looking at how to do things better,” Wilson wrote in the email. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing with our IT program. The RFP published last week enables us to learn about how ...
Comments (17)
hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans
No doubt it's a function that has been underfunded for years. If you don't properly fund things in order to replace out-dated equipment and software, don't blame the IT employees. They worked with what they were given to work with. This is a pattern in Republican government. Underfund and outsource. That's what they've done with just about every function and what they are trying to do to the public school system.
jpt51
Sounds much like the speech heard around 2003 just before Perry tried to privatize Texas' welfare programs. The employment counseling of TEC had the same thing happen. Believe me, this is a done deal.
My advise is for these TxDOT folks to transfer to an agency that makes money for the state, ie. Comptrollers office. Nothing can stop Perry from ensuring his cronyism campaign contributors get their pound of flesh. We desperately need a new governor.
hans5162@ix.netcom.com hans
I had forgottn jpt5. You're probably right. Perry's fundraising is down. Time to sell off more public assets.
Terri Russo Daugherty via Texas Tribune on Facebook
In a state with as much unemployment as texas... No outsourcing please
annie S via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How many more state jobs are going to be outsourced? And why did they spend (according to comptrollers report) spend 700,000 dollars last year on software and it updates? Our state has annual revenue greater then all other states combined, yet every time I turn around another state function is being outsourced.
Maybe instead the state hire a decent IT department, and we outsource for our governor and most of state congress? Could save a lot of money doing that.
Scot Lentard
I agree this is already a done deal. I would be willing to bet they already know the company they will award the contract to. This is the real "Good Ol' Boy" system folks should worry about. This was everyones complaint about TxDOT a few years ago...the "Good Ol' Boy" system had to go. They scapegoated some long time TxDOT folks and brought in a whole new level of "Good Ol Boy". It has already been proven that it costs more to contract out, and in certain situations can be way less efficient yet they continue. Look close at the IT RFP and look at the inflated bogus numbers they use. These numbers will be key to the reason why it will be cheaper to outsource...TxDOT has been ruined because of politics and lobbyists all trying to get their piece of the pie.
All I can say is I hope the Texas tax payer is ready to start buying that $25 dollar government screw and the $100 government screwdriver...and of course more toll roads : )
Tony Carver via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Why not, They're already outsourcing all of our freeways, before much longer Texas freeways will simply be known as South New Jersey with all of the toll roads and bridges being put in place. Why not just eleminate The DOT entirely and get it over with? You know this is where TEAxas Teapublicans are heading with this.
Andy Jones via Texas Tribune on Facebook
No, and it will end up being more expensive!
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Terri, outsourcing provides jobs for people. We do not need to have a state government who employs everyone.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Actually Annie S, outsourcing state legislators saves very little. As it stands, being a state legislator is like being a volunteer. They are paid almost nothing (something around 800 dollars a month)
Tyler James Hansen via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I got a bogus red light ticket in Bastrop and had to deal with their outsourced folks in Kentucky AND Arizona. It's ridiculous. If someone's going to profit from our traffic violations it should be our community.
D W
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Actually Annie S, outsourcing state legislators saves very little. As it stands, being a state legislator is like being a volunteer. They are paid almost nothing (something around 800 dollars a month
i am guessing they are over paid based on results so far.
though they do seem to do good work their real bosses, you know the businesses of Texas. which explains why we pay for so much for electricity (compare prices with Oklahoma, who also happens to have natural gas, with ours. we pay quite a bit more than they do). and they didnt exactly see that water was going to be a problem (but now they do, maybe because its some thine else they sell out from under us)
and then there is those toll roads. for roads we built with tax money, back when the state was much smaller, but now they sold them off, and can't seem to be able to build them our selves.
hm, wonder why that was.
and then there was that cancel program the state started a few years ago, seems to be rife with , if not out right corruption, with cronyism f nothing else. seems like we heard all about that green stimulus failure where the company got loans, and went bankrupt. now we have a state program that gave money to those who misspent it on thing that weren't covered by the program (like furniture?????) and who hadn't passed those who were tasked determining if those getting the money really were deserving of it. and then this company goes bankrupt????
That State
The TxDOT IT area has been underfunded and under staffed for years. Upper management let anyone do IT development and then expected the IT department to support what was developed and keep it up to date. The new upper management never changed that policy and they admit to not understanding IT. It should also be noted that this same upper management, who get paid more money than the old leaders, never told the IT department that this was happening until 5 days AFTER the RFP was released. Also this RFP opens the door to let the IT be sent out of the state and/or out of the country. I was under the impression that our State Leaders were trying to keep our money in the state? I would like to know how a IT staff is suppose to shine when we haven’t been given any direction, are morale was suffering as it was now its worst. How do you shine when your career is being threatened?
Say GoodBye to the TxDOT family
What happened to the TxDOT family? The “Old” management took care of their employees. There was always a chance for career advancement. With the “New” management their idea of career advancement is to bring in someone from the outside to do the same job that a TxDOT employee can do but yet they can come in when they want and talk on their personal cell phone all day. And that’s saving the taxpayers money? TxDOT used to be a great place to work. Yes all companies have their flaws but overall they looked out for their employees. The “Old” management would have never let this come as far as it has today. There are several IT employees that have been giving their 100% for a long time even when they didn’t agree with the management ideas. And tell me again how the employees can shine when administration won’t even come into the IT building to talk to the employees. There have been several attempts to get administration to talk to the employees after the RFO came out and yet all we got was one email.
Jenna Salgo
This is quite an interesting article. However, in some of his comments, Mr. Wilson's contradicts himself. For example, the line "The agency's computing system dates back to the 1980s and has been described by TxDOT officials as arcane and inefficient in handling an enterprise of 12,000 employees" contradicts with "Wilson also said the agency's current IT department has the chance to fight for its own survival". If the problem is outdated computer systems, why is it that the employees have to fight for survival? Wouldn't the outdated systems be the ones fighting for survival? It appears to me that, in the other hand, IT employees have been working with what they can, which in Mr. Wilson's words are "arcane and inefficient systems". I can't image how difficult it must be to deal with outdated equipment and software, and then being told you're not doing your job well. As an IT professional working in the private sector, I know I must do better every time to meet quotas and help my company make a good profit, but then we have state-of-the-art equipment and the latest software releases and updates. Another thing that does not make sense is how he asks the employees to "shine" and show their best work. How are they supposed to shine and do their best when they know their jobs may be outsourced? In my many years of work, I haven't seen a single person who works harder and do better when they have no motivation, and I believe me, knowing your job may be outsourced is no motivator. I saw an article a while back ago in the local newspaper, talking about how the new executive director at TxDOT asked for over $300, 000 for his salary, but was only given $292,500 ($100,000 more than his predecessor). So, I wonder why if the systems are old and outdated; the new executive director was given a salary of over $100,000 more than his predecessor instead of allocating that money to update TxDOT’S computer systems. It appears to me, TxDOT has become a corporation, one that may have a very short life. But then, that is only my opinion. The DOT execs will probably disagree.
Claud Henry Smoot
@Jenny Salgo
You hit the nail on the head! However, i'm skeptical that anyone in a position to address it will call Wilson on it. Blame employees and then outsource to your friends...
Gomers Pyle
So I'm in line at the DMV the other day for about 20 minutes and one of the workers comes over and tells me that their computer systems are down...so I'm like ok how long are we looking at...she replies that she has no idea and that Xerox recently took over state IT operations and that they accidentally deleted their server. She also said she used to be able to call local guys for help but now she is required to put in a ticket and wait for a response...lets hope the service desk is not in India.
How do you accidentally delete a server??