Loading ...Despite the oft-vaunted remarks of Gordon Brown that “new technology” will deliver much-needed efficiencies in the Civil Service, we still see more evidence to the contrary. Let’s hope that someone actually does something about the latest PAC report on the Dept for Transport shared services fiasco. Excuse me if I don’t hold my breath. The latest Whitehall Farce is not funny, it is beyond a joke.
The Department for Transport shared services fiasco appears to be the poster child for all that is wrong with UK government IT initiatives, showing the world once again how not to implement technology-driven change. And, of course, nobody is held accountable. Things could be different if the government had the nous and the political will. It seems that The Trillion Dollar Bonfire is burning as fiercely as ever in Whitehall.
Yet another cock-up on the government computing front today reveals that the Department for Transport Shared Services initiative will cost the taxpayer an arm and a leg, instead of saving money. The BBC reports that the scheme, intended to save £57 millions, has been turned into a net cost of £81 millions. Computer Weekly coverage of the fiasco highlights the phrase “stupendous incompetence” from the Public Accounts Committee report.
The PAC Chairman also questions why nobody appears to be accountable for the situation, or take responsibility, despite a sorry litany of management failures.
At this point I need to clarify my position, for reasons which will be apparent to those who know my background. Back in 2005-06 I was an interim (Business Systems) director working within the Highways Agency (part of the DfT) at the time the shared services scheme was mooted.
Although I was aware of the initiative, I was not involved in the discussions or deliberations so I cannot comment (and would not for reasons of client confidentiality) from the “insider” position. However, I do remember that I was surprised that the programme was not co-ordinated with other initiatives underway. I also remember that the Secretary for Transport at the time was Alistair Darling, now Chancellor of the Exchequer. His predecessor as Chancellor, Mr Brown, was desperate to get efficiency savings, through the magic of new technology.
Perhaps the savings anticipated by the DfT might have happened if more effort had been put into designing an effective solution. Instead we are left, once again with egg on our faces and a sorry state of affairs.
So there’s another $120 million on the Trillion Dollar Bonfire, courtesy of the UK Government, and government computing still has a long way to go if it is ever to be properly joined-up. Things could be different, things could be better. So why aren’t they? Do you know?
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[...] of two items in a news broadcast catapults my mind towards unusual targets. A report of yet another Government IT fiasco