Published 1 February 2024
MISSA kicks-off development of a new database information system
In line with the Administration’s direction to develop a modernized, reliable and more efficient database management information system, MISSA has entered into an agreement with the Republic of Palau Social Security Administration (ROPSSA) to acquire their source codes that serve as the basic foundation of their current data base information system. ROPSSA’s new system is far more advanced in operational efficiency than MISSA’s 30+ year-old system that was originally written in FoxPro in the late 1980s and then upgraded to Visual FoxPro9 (VFP) in 2008. ROPSSA’s source codes were written in Structured Query Language (SQL) which is considered to be superior than VFP in terms of performance, security and database size.
Right after the agreement was signed, a 4-member MISSA delegation headed by Sen. and MISSA Board Member Dennis Momotaro, made a brief visit to Palau where the group was accorded a 2-day walk-through about what the ROPSSA system can offer. The MISSA team has also met with ROPSSA Board Chairman Hefflin Bai and Administrator Clinton Ngemaes who both affirmed to fully support MISSA until the new system is completed and be totally operational.
It is important to note that since the early 1990s, the social security systems of RMI (MISSA), Palau (ROPSSA) and FSM (FSMSSA) have been sharing a common data base management system written in FoxPro. In 2003, the three SS systems were awarded a Technical Assistance that was used to design and install a new software program for the three entities. The grant was managed and administered by ROPSSA. In 2005, the new program written in Visual Fox Pro (VFP) Version 9 was installed. Although there were delays in the data conversion, the overall implementation of the grant was successful.
Over the years, it was noted that certain features of the new system are restricted in its capability. These restrictions were not seen during the development stage of VFP because the three entities were focusing on data conversions, reports, features and screens. As a result, the three agencies have to finance numerous enhancements to improve the program’s operational capacity and meet its needs. However, these added costs continue to pile up. In 2008, the three agencies could no longer sustain the additional cost of enhancements and were compelled to seek further funding from the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior. A grant was approved and was used to finance further enhancements.
In 2013, ROPSSA was able to get funding from the Government of Palau to upgrade further their own system and an RFP was released in 2014. Multiple vendors from the U.S., India, Russia and Philippines have submitted their proposals. Finally, a U.S. based firm got the award and started the system development and migration. However, the vendor was not able to complete and deliver the new system on time due to health and financial issues. Fortunately, another programmer came to the rescue and with the help of one of the original programmers who actively participated in the 2005 system enhancement, a new data base management system written in Structured Query Language (SQL) was completed in 2019. This is the same system that MISSA will be using, subject to further customized programming and code-writing to meet the needs of MISSA.
As MISSA’s aging database management information system evolved in the past 20 years, system data integrity became a problem. VFP was built on 32-bit architecture while new hardware and software that are available today are all using a 64-bit architecture. A major difference between 32-bit processors and 64-bit processors is the number of calculations per second they can perform, which affects the speed at which they can complete tasks. The faster the processor, the more efficient it will be. The final blow to VFP users came in 2015 when Microsoft stopped extending support to VFP. This support is a vital part of every computer system because it provides bug fixes, upgrades and general support. While VFP applications may still continue without Microsoft support, finding outside support will be more challenging and expensive because the availability of skilled FoxPro developers is declining over the years. These are the main reasons why MISSA asked for funding from the RMI Government in 2022 to convert its aging system to a new platform and keep abreast with advances in technology. Fortunately, MISSA was granted the needed funding.
As early as three years ago, MISSA has already heard about ROPSSA’s new system and signified its interest to acquire their new system’s source codes to enable the Administration to use it. But due to funding constraints, MISSA was only able to start the negotiation last year when the needed funding from the RMI Government was approved.
In May 2023, MISSA advertised an RFP for its system development and migration to a new platform. However, when the bid was closed in July 2023, only 3 vendors have shown interest, possibly due to the dwindling number of FoxPro developers in the region who can convert VFP to a more advanced and efficient database system. The contract was awarded by MISSA to the lowest bidder, the same programmer who has completed ROPSSA’s new system. He will be supported by another programmer from the US who is one of the original programmers who did the codes for FoxPro and VFP9. This project has already commenced and is estimated to be completed in a year and a half. MISSA’s new system will be further enhanced and continuously upgraded to meet all the MISSA users’ needs and also facilitate its interface with MISSA’s MIP Accounting System.