Alaska Achieves federal compliance milestone for statewide automated child welfare information system
February 11 2009 - 8:30AM
PR Newswire (US)
Stock Market Symbols GIB.A (TSX) GIB (NYSE) FAIRFAX, VA, Feb. 11
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CGI Group Inc. (TSX: GIB.A; NYSE: GIB), a
leading provider of information technology and business process
services, today announced Alaska's Office of Children's Services
(OCS) Web-based statewide automated child welfare information
system (SACWIS) achieved Tier 2 compliance with the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and
Families (ACF). "Achieving Tier 2 compliance is no small feat,"
said Tammy Sandoval, Director of the Alaska Office of Children's
Services. "We have a team that is dedicated to the success of the
SACWIS system, which significantly helps us protect the children in
our care. This project has been and continues to be a rewarding
engagement and we are very grateful for CGI's contributions toward
achieving this notable milestone." Once a state's SACWIS becomes
operational, the ACF Division of State Systems (DSS) reviews the
system's functionality against federal requirements and the state's
Implementation Advance Planning Document - the roadmap outlining
how the SACWIS system operates. DSS conducts an in-depth review of
the system to gauge compliance with SACWIS-required functionality,
ensure it supports state child welfare services business practices;
and that it is accepted and used by front-line workers,
supervisors, managers and other users. Tier 2 compliance results
from a successful completion of the review. CGI began working with
Alaska in 2003 to modernize the state's child welfare management
system. The resulting Web-based system, Online Resource for the
Children of Alaska (ORCA), went live in 2005. ORCA allows more than
450 staff members in 28 locations to instantly share information
about the thousands of child abuse and neglect cases investigated
each year. ORCA consolidated seven separate databases into a single
system, increasing operational efficiency, eliminating many
paper-based processes, and reducing delays in day-to-day business.
"CGI is proud to be a part of this important project with Alaska
and we extend our congratulations to the State for achieving this
notable milestone," said Caroline Rapking, Vice-President of CGI's
U.S. state and local government industry group. "OCS has
demonstrated their dedication to serving the children and families
of Alaska by building a case management tool to support caseworkers
in the delivery of mission critical services to those in need."
Alaska joins Wisconsin as the only other Web-based SACWIS to
achieve compliance with action plans. CGI also implemented
Wisconsin's system, eWiSACWIS. About CGI Founded in 1976, CGI Group
Inc. is one of the largest independent information technology and
business process services firms in the world. CGI and its
affiliated companies employ approximately 25,000 professionals. CGI
provides end-to-end IT and business process services to clients
worldwide from offices in Canada, the United States, Europe, Asia
Pacific as well as from centers of excellence in North America,
Europe and India. CGI's annual revenue run rate stands at $4.0
billion and at December 31, 2008, CGI's order backlog was $11.4
billion. CGI shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE
(GIB) and are included in the S&P/TSX Composite Index as well
as the S&P/TSX Capped Information Technology and MidCap
Indices. Website: http://www.cgi.com/. DATASOURCE: CGI GROUP INC.
CONTACT: Investors: Lorne Gorber, Vice-President, Global
Communications and Investor Relations, (514) 841-3355, ; Media:
Linda Odorisio, Vice-President, US Communications, (703) 267-8118,
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