| CNIC Initiative |
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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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June 2, 2004 - These questions are from an employee perspective.
Q1: Regardless of the final configuration – one data center or more – will they all be operated by state employees rather than contracted out?
A1: Yes. The state has told the contractor working on the business plan that outsourcing/contracting out is not an option. The center(s) will all be operated by state employees and none of the work involving CNIC will be done outside Oregon.
Q2: What’s the basic process for setting up positions for the data center(s)?
A2: If it is determined that a business case exists for consolidation, an implementation plan will be developed that will include the staffing needs of the new entity. Position duties will be outlined in conjunction with the CIO Council and position descriptions will be written and evaluated for the appropriate classification level. We will then recruit affected employees for those positions.
Q3: Who will the chosen staff be working for – DAS or a new department?
A3: The data center(s) will be part of DAS, but separate from other IRMD programs.
Q4: Will the staff be chosen from current employees first or from external and internal simultaneously?
A4: We will first recruit from the pool of affected employees. It is in the best interest of the project to have employees that are knowledgeable about current systems and agency needs.
Q5: Do DAS employees have to re-apply for their positions as well?
A5: The DAS data center (GGDC) is one of the data centers being included in the consolidation. It has the same status as any other agency’s data center. Affected DAS employees will be in the recruitment pool along with the affected employees from the other 11 agencies.
Q6: A list of possibly affected employees was recently circulated. It appears that there may be a number of people on that list that work outside the scope of the project. Is everyone on that list affected? What does it mean if my name is not on the list?
A6: The list of potentially affected positions that was distributed in early May is a first draft and based on a broad inventory that was done in the agencies. It was an attempt to narrow down those possibly affected from the 1,200 I.S. staff in the 12 affected agencies so we could respond to a union request for information on those possibly affected. We know that there are people on that list who will not be affected and there will be people affected who are not currently identified. We will continue to refine the list of positions affected as the scope of the project is clarified.
Q7: Some potentially affected staff are represented by SEIU, some by AFSCME and others are unrepresented. What will be the representation of the new unit?
A7: There are processes in place that unions can go through to represent a group of employees. DAS Human Resource Services Division (HRSD) is working with union leadership on questions related to representation and the transition of currently represented employees.
Q8: Will managers be affected by the consolidation?
A8: Yes, managers are on the list of affected employees. New management positions will be created for the center(s) and will be recruited for from the pool of affected employees.
Q9: Where will the new center be located?
A9: We do not know where the new center(s) will be located yet. The Facilities Division is conducting assessments of potential sites, all of which are in the metro areas along the I-5 corridor from Portland to Eugene. DAS has placed an offer on a site in Eugene as an act of due diligence that can be rescinded at any time if the state does not move forward with consolidation and/or should Eugene not prove to be the best site for the state.
Q10: If the new center(s) is not in Salem, will there be some consideration of relocation costs for affected employees?
A10: Current bargaining agreement language and state policy address allowing for relocation costs in certain circumstances. There will also continue to be discussions with unions and managers about possible incentives for employees to become part of the new data center(s).
Q11: What will be the classification of the new positions?
A11: We will not know the classifications until the job descriptions are written and assessed for appropriate classification and salary level.
Q12: What will happen to affected staff that are not selected, or choose not to apply for positions in the new data center(s)?
A12: The state has made the commitment to make its best effort to place all affected employees. There are a number of possible outcomes for affected employees that do not become part of the data center, including transfer to another position, retraining, or layoff. There are currently a number of vacancies in agencies that may be taken into consideration. All of these options will be discussed in labor-management meetings on the topic. Management and union representatives will be communicating information on these issues as it becomes available.
Q13: When will I know for sure if I am going to be affected by this change?
A13: The June business case will identify the number of positions that will be affected if the state moves forward with implementation; the detailed implementation plan and final business case (expected by September 30, 2004) will identify specific positions.
Q14: Will positions for the consolidated data center be created or moved?
Q14: The process will be to create new positions and then work with agencies to abolish agency positions that will no longer be needed.
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