DPCS Project Not Going Well

     In 2010 Social Security awarded a contract to develop a Disability Case Processing System (DPCS). This is a database system that would be used in processing disability claims at the initial and reconsideration levels. So far the agency has spend over $300 million on the project but has received no benefit. A recent report by the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG) shows that things have been going so badly with the DPCS project that OIG is recommending that the agency strongly consider terminating the project and either sticking with its legacy system or using off the shelf software. The off the shelf software may not have all the functions the agency wants but it works and is relatively inexpensive. Of course, it appears that DPCS itself, if it ever works, isn't going to have all the functions the agency wants anyway, at least not in the beginning.