the jamp chronicles

THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Introduction
•
Overview of key event in 1990 Seattle GIS
implementation: $11 million Federal lawsuit
•
Describe project setting
•
Review lawsuit chronology
•
Summarize outcome
•
Caveats !
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
All Systems Go – JAMP Project Setting
•
Cast of thousands, clamoring for GIS
•
Key JAMP players: city, GIS Consultant, subcontractors
•
Business case: eliminate/reduce duplicative mapping
tasks; single base map for all departments
•
Project planning and design
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
All Systems Go – JAMP Project Setting
City of Seattle
City Light
Engineering
Water
GIS Consultant
Conversion Sub
MBE Sub
WBE Sub
ESRI
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
All Systems Go – JAMP Project Setting
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
All Systems Go – JAMP Project Setting
•
First task: Common Land Database (CLDB) Creation
•
Cadastral map conversion: 600+ quarter-section maps; subparcel detail level including annotation
•
Conversion work flow: city source maps a GIS Consultant a
Conversion Sub aQC a City QC
•
Timeline ! Resources ! Cost ! Expectations !
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
All Systems Go – JAMP Project Setting
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
“Everything’s about the same here.
How are things with you?”
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
CLDB Pilot: six quarter sections by Conversion Sub
•
GIS Consultant PM shuffle
•
Multiple pilot deliveries and rejections
•
Schedule slippage
•
Termination of Conversion Sub by GIS Consultant
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
Conversion Sub filed $11 million claim, U. S. District
Court, Western District of Washington
•
GIS Consultant filed countersuit
•
Other project participants not parties to suit, but were
affected
•
Replacement vendor (Conversion Sub 2) hired
•
Rewind and restart project
•
“Houston, we have a problem.”
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
City of Seattle
City Light
Engineering
Water
GIS Consultant
Conversion Sub
MBE Sub
WBE Sub
U. S. District Court
City of Seattle
City Light
Conversion Sub
Conversion Sub 2
ESRI
Engineering
Water
GIS Consultant
MBE Sub
WBE Sub
ESRI
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
Lawsuit players: plaintiff, defendant, attorneys, court
•
Project schedule, budget, credibility?
•
Future work prospects for GIS Consultant?
•
Conversion Sub performance bond (~$800,000)
•
Conversion Sub 2 mobilization
•
Another GIS Consultant PM shuffle
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
“A contract is a rule and can be enforced, just like any
law…A contract is a legally enforceable meeting of the
minds – a mental condition. This mental condition is
manifested by words – oral or written – by actions, or by
both words and actions…” (italics mine) *
•
Discharge (termination) by ‘breach;’ i.e., breach of
contract. One party [allegedly] fails in a material way to
perform.*
•
Damages and other remedies
* From Business Law, Robert W. Emerson, J. D.
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
“[discovery]…probing into all evidence that is
admissible in court and all other information that could
lead to admissible evidence.” *
•
Discovery includes interrogatories, document
production, depositions
•
The JAMP lawsuit resulted in many depositions
involving the City of Seattle, the GIS Consultant, the
Conversion Sub, the Conversion Sub 2, and
PlanGraphics.
* From Business Law, Robert W. Emerson, J. D.
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
Trial had many bizarre sidebars, for example:
•
Middle of the night angry phone calls
•
Third-party attempt to recruit GIS Consultant PM
•
Conversion Sub 2 threatened to join plaintiff unless
GIS Consultant committed to hiring them for
ongoing/future City of Seattle work
•
Seattle law firm attorney for GIS Consultant was
previously employed by Colorado law firm who
represented Conversion Sub 2
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
Trial outcomes are many…
•
Settlement
•
Motions and summary judgment
•
Dismissal
•
Final judgment by court
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Into TheVoid – JAMP Lawsuit
•
This trial consumed more than a year
•
Summary judgments by the court were favorable
to the defendant (GIS Consultant)
•
Plaintiff (Conversion Sub) made several settlement
proposals, all of which were rejected by defendant
•
Final damage awards were in defendant’s favor, but
less than envisioned
•
No final summary of costs incurred by all parties
(that I am aware of)
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Recouping and Regrouping – the Aftermath
•
GIS Consultant eventually finished JAMP contract with
major QC effort contributed by city staff
•
GIS Consultant was awarded some additional Seattle
projects, and lost to competing vendors on other
Seattle work.
•
GIS Consultant staff who worked on JAMP are now
employed at the City of Seattle, King County, private
sector, or elsewhere.
•
Seattle overcame this initial challenge and continues to
build on many GIS successes since 1991
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Recouping and Regrouping – the Aftermath
•
Lessons learned? ! or…mistakes made.
•
What mistakes did we make and should not repeat?
•
Critical assessment of agency (buyer) source materials
•
Realistic qualifications-based selection (QBS)
•
Project cost established by industry average, not low-bid
process
•
Fact-checking on vendor resources
•
Up-front specs development/testing as part of vendor
ramp-up
THE JAMP CHRONICLES
Recouping and Regrouping – the Aftermath
•
Project management basics
•
Documentation, document management, change
management
•
Schedule v. budget v. work completed
•
Communication, collaboration between prime and sub
•
Divide between technical staff and executive-level
•
Candid assessment of the true cost of GIS
implementation, and the true cost of an off-course GIS
implementation