In March 2006, Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. (WRMA) was awarded the Planning and Quality Control contract by the State of Oregon, Department of Human Services, for the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) implementation project. The project is scheduled for three years and is structured in two major phases: 1) pre-implementation SACWIS-specific planning activities and 2) quality control provision throughout the duration of the Design, Development and Implementation phase.


In the first phase, WRMA staff will work with the Oregon SACWIS Project staff to define the State's child welfare business and technical requirements, assist the State to secure Federal approval for the project's planning implementation phases, and assist with the selection of a Design, Development and Implementation (DD&I) vendor. WRMA assistance in securing Federal Financial Participation (FFP) will include building a business case for the State's implementation approach and working with the State Team on the SACWIS Implementation Advance Planning Document Update (IAPDU), including the Alternatives Analysis and the Cost Benefit Analysis. WRMA and the State SACWIS Team are also developing the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the DD&I vendor. In the second phase of the project, once the DD&I vendor is on board, WRMA staff will perform quality control functions to assure that the SACWIS application is designed according to the stated specifications, meets the requisite Federal requirements, and is implemented by the State and DD&I vendor in an efficient and cost-effective manner. WRMA looks forward to this opportunity to assist Oregon DHS with its SACWIS acquisition and implementation.