State of Opportunities

The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) will recompete its outsourcing contract for the facilities management and operation of the school's information technology operations. The request for proposals for this project may be released in August.

The Medical University outsourced its information technology operations to Coleman Research Corp., starting in 1993. A significant portion of Coleman Research's existing contract is to operate the systems within the university hospital.

The Minnesota Office of Technology is seeking a vendor to provide an upgrade to the state's public access system, North Star I. The RFP is expected to be released in July.

The current version of North Star provides a directory to hundreds of government information resources on the Internet. The next generation of the North Star Project, North Star II, will provide the public with a user-friendly, "single window" to Minnesota government services through the use of multiple information technologies.

While initial development will focus on access through the Web, future developments will ensure broad public access to digital information and service through the use of other new technologies. These include computers on the Internet, telephones, fax machines, televisions with set-top boxes connected to the Internet and other technologies that ensure access for the disabled.

The New Jersey Department of the Treasury, on behalf of the state's Department of Transportation, will contract with a vendor to provide a Computerized Fleet Equipment Maintenance and Management System. The RFP is expected to be released in August.

The state DOT contracted with Booz-Allen in September 1995 to conduct a research study on re-engineering the department's maintenance and management systems. The study will result in recommended changes in operations activities, work and planning standards, and engineering and planning methods. Recommendations concerning the use of advanced engineering technologies, functional data system requirements and a limited pilot test to verify the recommendations will also be included.

The resulting contract will implement these recommendations as they pertain to Computerized Fleet Equipment Maintenance and Management.

The Arkansas Department of Human Services will rebid its fiscal agent contract for operating the state's Medicaid Management Information System. The RFP is expected to be released in December.

The current contract was awarded to Electronic Data Systems Corp. in August 1995 and started on March 1, 1996. EDS also held the previous contract. The current contract is only for fiscal agent takeover and several purchase options for system enhancements. The purchase options include implementing an Executive Information System/Decision Support System and updating eligibility verification link with the statewide system.

These opportunities are compiled by Federal Sources Inc., a market research firm in McLean, Va. (www.fedsources.com)