* GovGuam could lose millions in federal funding
The employees of the Guam State Clearinghouse thought they would start work straight away in dealing with the administration and management of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants awarded to the government of Guam and private non-profit organizations, but instead, clearinghouse staffers have been busy trying to retrieve missing, tampered with, or access-restricted critical data. Both electronic and physical records were affected.
With the help of Chief of Information Technology Ed Cruz and the Bureau of Information Techonology, information is being recovered from computers that were access-restricted or whose information was deleted, said Eric Palacios, the new Guam State Clearinghouse administrator.
Cruz and his team spent the morning and half the afternoon attempting to recover as much information as they could, said Palacios.
When questioned if the missing information could lead to a criminal investigation, Palacios said it was too early to determine that course of action.
œThe process of retrieving information is still ongoing and until thats fully completed and Ed gives me his full report, I cant say what the next step will be, said Palacios.
Palacios said his main concern is to continue to provide the funds with no interruptions to government agencies and non-profits that provide services to the community. This includes the Guam Memorial Hospital Authority, the Guam Police Department and non-profits that provide counseling services.
Palacios said ARRA funds are not affected since this was managed by the Bureau of Budget and Management Research.
One of the computers in the office had more games than grant information; another computer had over 60 percent of archived grants deleted, said one staff member.
The clearinghouse office is under the authority of the lieutenant governors office. Incoming staff members were assured by former clearinghouse employees that all the data were properly archived. The office was run by former Gov. Felix Camachos appointee, Roland Villaverde.
Villaverde is still in possession of a government-issued laptop which contains critical information, said Palacios.
According to Chief Information Officer Ed Cruz from the Bureau of Information Techonology, the laptop is œone critical piece of equipment.
œIf this information is not recovered, the government of Guam, non-governmental organizations, and non-profit organizations could lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, or have fines assessed to them for missing deadlines or for noncompliance with grant guidelines, Palacios said.
Palacios said he spoke to Villaverde yesterday and Villaverde said he would return the laptop immediately.
Palacios said he didnt know why the office was in disarray when he and his staff went in on Jan. 3.
œWhen we did a walk-through, the office was clean. I could tell the computers were working because all the employees were on them. I questioned Roland at least three times if all the information would be readily available to us when we walk in January 3. He assured me there would be no interruption in the services. When we took over the office, it was an entirely different tale.
Palacios said when he questioned Villaverde about the condition of the office and the computers, Villaverde apologized and said he would try to help.
œThe governments IT resources, to include Ed Cruz, really pulled through for us. They are committed to retrieving as much information as possible and are still in the process of doing that. They really helped out a lot, Palacios said.
Cruz, along with other government IT professionals, have spent close to 48 hours assisting the clearinghouse with its efforts in retrieving information, but more help is needed, according to a press release from the governors office.
Both the clearinghouse and BIT cannot be sure how much data regarding these grants have been lost. Officials are contacting government agencies and non-profit organizations to ensure deadlines are not missed and compliance is maintained.
œI encourage anyone who has past or present grants from the prior administration, or pending grant applications to immediately contact or visit our office. In the meantime, our staff continues working diligently to ensure that none of this precious federal money is compromised, Palacios said.
The Guam State Clearinghouse is asking government of Guam departments and agencies who deal with federal grants with information on pending, current, or future grants to call 475-9380 immediately.
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Halo Sobat, Nama Saya Sofyan Syah, Memulai Dunia Blogging Sejak Nov 2011, Meskipun Masih Baru terjun di Dunia Blogging, Saya tidak patah semangat Untuk menjadi Yang terbaik dari yang Terbaik, karena saya yakin, Tidak ada hal yang tidak Mungkin.Buat saya Blogging Is My Life.Senang rasanya jika sobat sudah Berkunjung di blog ini.
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