New Jersey-what didn’t New Jersey-what didn’t work:work:

One Ease E-Link (OEL)One Ease E-Link (OEL)oror

““Why is true integration of Human Why is true integration of Human Services using IT – based Services using IT – based

interoperability so elusive?”interoperability so elusive?”

4th SOC Conference Jan. 19-21,2009

William G Kowalski

Parallels ?Parallels ?

19291929Bar code inventedBar code invented19741974First time used in a storeFirst time used in a store

Parallels ?Parallels ?continuedcontinued

1965: fax machine became available to 1965: fax machine became available to the publicthe public

Cost: several thousand dollarsCost: several thousand dollarsNetwork: a few machinesNetwork: a few machines20092009Cost: 50 dollarsCost: 50 dollarsNetwork: 18 million machinesNetwork: 18 million machines

BackgroundBackground

Year – 1995Year – 1995

Name - One Ease E –LinkName - One Ease E –Link

Funding – 14.7 MFunding – 14.7 M

TenetsTenets

Access/Consumer - Access/Consumer - CentricCentric

Empowerment/Users Empowerment/Users Tools/ManagementTools/Management

Industry StandardsIndustry Standards Cutting (Bleeding) Cutting (Bleeding)

EdgeEdge Shared Data BaseShared Data Base

Obstacles Obstacles

15 obstacles that are 15 obstacles that are relevant to just about relevant to just about any human services any human services interoperability projectinteroperability project

15 Obstacles15 Obstacles

1 - Lack of leadership “buy- in”1 - Lack of leadership “buy- in”2 - Confidentiality concerns2 - Confidentiality concerns3 – Resistance to change3 – Resistance to change4 - Territoriality4 - Territoriality5 – Service silos5 – Service silos6 – Collaboration concerns6 – Collaboration concerns

15 Obstacles 15 Obstacles continuedcontinued

7 - Training needed7 - Training needed8 - Security demands8 - Security demands9 - Application integration9 - Application integration10 - Maintaining legacy systems10 - Maintaining legacy systems11 - Rapid change11 - Rapid change12 - Federal funding policies12 - Federal funding policies

15 Obstacles15 Obstaclescontinuedcontinued

13 - Limited resources13 - Limited resources14 - Labor shortage14 - Labor shortage15 - Scope15 - Scope

PostmortemPostmortem

An enlarged scopeAn enlarged scope

Governance failureGovernance failure

Human Services 2.0Human Services 2.0Vision MapVision Map

In the 1890s,Robert Louis Stevenson In the 1890s,Robert Louis Stevenson persuaded the tribal chiefs of Samoa to persuaded the tribal chiefs of Samoa to cut a road through the wilderness. When it cut a road through the wilderness. When it was opened, Stevenson said:was opened, Stevenson said:

““Our road is not built to last a thousand years, Our road is not built to last a thousand years, yet in a sense it is. When a road is once built,it yet in a sense it is. When a road is once built,it

is a strange thing how it collects traffic, how is a strange thing how it collects traffic, how every year as it goes on, more and more people every year as it goes on, more and more people are found to walk thereon, and others are raised are found to walk thereon, and others are raised

up to repair and perpetuate it” up to repair and perpetuate it”