Checklist on key issues related to the Y2K problem
Questions for the Administration
1. Extent of the Y2K problem
- What are the policy areas and related NGOs overseen by your Bureau? Which are the mission-critical computer and embedded systems?
- Has your Bureau conducted a Y2K awareness campaign?
- Has your Bureau defined and documented the potential impact of the Y2K problem?
- What are the potential risks of the Y2K computer failures to our daily lives/transactions?
2. Resources to tackle the problem
- What are the resources (in terms of funds and manpower) in your Bureau/departments devoted to the Y2K problem? What is the involvement of top management?
- Are you using internal or external resources?
- Are "business" as well as "information technology" staff involved in the project?
- Who is in charge of the project, a professional or a generalist?
- Can he communicate efficiently and effectively with parties concerned, both within and outside the Government? Does he have the necessary technical capability and authority to do so?
- How have you organized your Y2K work? (e.g. setting up a steering committee to oversee the progress of the exercise and to take follow-up actions as appropriate). Have you documented the related work plans and decisions?
3. Progress of Y2K rectification exercise
- When did the Bureau/department start to take up the Y2K-compliance exercise? What is the target timetable/schedule for completion of the project? Do you have a priority programme for different mission-critical computer and embedded systems? If so, please provide details? If not, why not?
- What percentage of the work of repairing or replacing mission-critical computer and embedded systems have you completed? Please provide details.
- Have you developed a Y2K supplier/customer chain management strategy?
- Do other business partners/suppliers of your Bureau have Y2K-compliant plans in place? Will you interact with them or other clients through Internet or other remote systems?
- Please provide information on interface and data exchange issues.
- How are you going to test the reliability of the various mission-critical computer and embedded systems under your policy portfolio in an integrated manner to ensure that they are all Y2K-compliant?
- What is your Bureau's involvement in the Y2K rectification exercise undertaken by related NGOs?
- How can you ensure that NGOs will achieve Y2K-compliance within your schedule? How are you going to follow-up on the progress and slippage of the Y2K project as reported by NGOs?
4. Contingency plan
- Have you designed, tested, and put in place plans for internal and external contingencies?
- What are the objectives of the contingency plans?
- What are the criteria for invoking the contingency plans?
- What are the expected duration of the contingency plans?
- What are the procedures for invoking contingency mode?
- What are the resource plan for operating in contingency mode?
- How are you going to test the effectiveness of the contingency plans?
- Will you involve different NGOs in the exercise, both at the testing and implementation stages? If not, why not?
- What are the details of the related publicity programme?
Questions for NGOs
1. Extent of the Y2K problem
- Which are the mission-critical computer and embedded systems?
- Has your organization conducted a Y2K awareness campaign?
- Has your organization defined and documented the potential impact of the Y2K problem?
- What are the potential risks of the Y2K computer failures to our daily lives/transactions?
2. Resources to tackle the problem
- What are the resources (in terms of funds and manpower) in your organization devoted to the Y2K problem? What is the involvement of top management
- Are you using internal or external resources?
- Are "business" as well as "information technology" staff involved in the project?
- Who is in charge of the project, a professional or a generalist?
- Can he communicate efficiently and effectively with parties concerned, both within and outside the organization? Does he have the necessary technical capability and authority to do so?
- How have you organized your Y2K work? (e.g. setting up of a steering committee to oversee the progress of the exercise and to take follow-up actions as appropriate). Have you documented the related work plans and decisions?
3. Progress of Y2K rectification exercise
- When did your organization start to take up the Y2K-compliance exercise? What is the target timetable/schedule for completion of the project? Do you have a priority programme for different mission-critical computer and embedded systems? If so, please provide details? If not, why not?
- What percentage of the work of repairing or replacing mission-critical computer and embedded systems have you completed? Please provide details.
- Has your organization developed a Y2K supplier/customer chain management strategy?
- Do other business partners/suppliers of your organization have Y2K-compliant plans in place? Will you interact with your customers through Internet or other remote systems?
- Please provide information on interface and data exchange issues.
- Does your organization have comprehensive testing strategies for both internal and external systems?
- What are your plans for testing?
- Do you have a documented plan?
4. Contingency plan
- Have you designed, tested, and put in place plans for internal and external contingencies?
- What are the objectives of the contingency plans?
- What are the criteria for invoking the contingency plans and who are responsible for activating and overseeing the contingency plans?
- What are the expected duration of the contingency plans?
- How are you going to test the effectiveness of the contingency plans?
- How is your organization accountable to the respective Government Bureau for formulation and implementation of the contingency plans?
- Will your organization launch a publicity programme to keep the public informed of the latest development of the Y2K-compliance exercise within your organization and the related contingency plan?
Legislative Council Secretariat
7 April 1999