Not Just Bankers

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Dryce

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The example below isn't unique. Anyway it's set off my blood boiling.

NAO urges DEFRA agency to replace £350m system that's only 4 years old | 15 Oct 2009 | ComputerWeekly.com

Note the numbers and costs. £375M for a broken system to deal with EU payments to 21000 or so farmers. And ongoing costs. Cost of handling each claim £1743.

There is a fundamental failure at the heart of the government and civil service when it comes to procurement of systems. Whether it be civil public sector or defence sector they are supporting a massive ecosystem of civil servants and prime contractors who are not punished for failure In fact with cost increases it appears there are rewards - even incentives for failure).

This is no less rotten than the banks.:wallbash:

:mad:
 
More waste & stupidity. HUGE amounts of money p1$$ed away all the time in all departments.

Private Eye 1247, 16 Oct. 2009.
 

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There are some classic "red flag" statements even in that short CW article, e.g.
customisation which includes changes to Oracle's source code
and the classic from an Accenture spokesman
Our original contract was for £64m, but it was anticipated at the time the contract was signed that after the EU harmonization requirements were issued, the RPA [Rural Payments Agency] and Accenture would work together to determine the scope of work needed to meet those requirements
So we sign a contract with a value attached, but an unknown scope and - by definition - no idea of the deliverables or final cost. Stunning.

BTW, I particlularly liked the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Edward Leigh MP's description of the RPA's attempts to administer EU grants to farmers as a "master class of maladministration".

Still, the Androids seem to be doing well out of it. For those not in the know, Accenture was the spinoff consulting arm Arthur Anderson, and formerly known as Anderson Consulting. Google "Arthur Anderson" and "document shredding" for more info ;)
 
Still, the Androids seem to be doing well out of it. For those not in the know, Accenture was the spinoff consulting arm Arthur Anderson, and formerly known as Anderson Consulting. Google "Arthur Anderson" and "document shredding" for more info ;)

The thing that really gets me is that the whole procurement system is geared towards the 'usual suspects'. Smaller UK companies hardly get a look in - and if they do it is behind a wall of prime contractors and 'uplifts' that increase the costs of using them.

The thing is that the costs are staggering and no lessons are actually being learned from these successive failures.:wallbash::wallbash::wallbash:
 
Agree about the bias towards the usual collection of prime contractors, and it's certainly a very cosy, well appointed, little club :rolleyes:
 

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