UK government sets sights on £8B tech procurement overhaul

The UK government has launched the procurement of a package of tech deals worth up to £8 billion ($6.36 billion), attempting to consolidate two earlier purchasing arrangements. Crown Commercial Service, a Cabinet Office unit, has published a notice to initiate an early conversation with suppliers in preparation for launching …

[Pascal Monett]

So it's raining money again

Would it be possible that something has actually been planned this time ?

Nah, there will be overruns, Capita, Fujitsu and others will make like bandits, and the citizen will once again have to deal with unsatisfactory results.

Unless I'm wrong, which I hope, but as far as UK Government IT is concerned, I'm not expecting much else.

Could someone point to a project that was delivered on spec, on time and in budget ? Just curious.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: So it's raining money again

The answer is probably that project that has been delivered is that £8 billion will be initially invested in companies where we are purchasing shares. Originally governments on all political sides were always organized to help the country, not just the current government members.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: So it's raining money again

"Originally governments on all political sides were always organized to help the country, not just the current government members."

I see you're not familiar with Britain's history, or indeed most other countries.

[yetanotheraoc]

Re: So it's raining money again

"Would it be possible that something has actually been planned this time ?"

The negative answer is already in the article. They don't even know if the the two programs under consideration will be combined or kept separate.

"The scope of services under the new agreement/s will be confirmed following market engagement activities."

Translation: We'll figure out our requirements after we look at the bids.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: So it's raining money again

Cabinet Office Technology Transformation (COTT).

Mainly independent contractors, on time, in budget. I worked on it, so it was, of course, awesome.

[Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese]

The GBP to USD conversion at the top of the article looks suspect but seeing as it's a government project it'll go ridiculously over budget, any numbers quoted at this stage are purely academic.

[Lurko]

This is a procurement framework, not a project, and it doesn't have ANY budget. It's the same way that procurement frameworks operate in the private sector.

The actual out-turn value depends entirely on both the projects that use the framework, and their out-turn, so the costs could be well below or well above the framework value.

[Anonymous Coward]

Tories committing to expenditure for the next (Labour) government to find a way of funding ?

[Lurko]

Not directly, because there's no requirement to use the framework, and the procuring department/authority can do their own thing subject to the normal public procurement rules. In practice, if there's a CCS Framework then most government departments will use it as it's usually easier than trying to procure outside the framework. If you've got the time there's a detailed assessment of government use of frameworks by the Public Accounts Committee:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmpubacc/385/report.html

In terms of opportunities for malfeasance, what the Tories could do is ensure their usual mates (eg Fujitsu, Crapita et al) are selected as Framework suppliers - although the same shysters did very well under the last government, so I'm not sure much would change even with a new government.

[Natalie Gritpants Jr]

Framework: a sufficiently vague set of buzzwords I can use to build my career, together with a list of commercial partners that owe me for getting their names on a list.

Agile: a way of getting shmoozed by sales creeps, while agreeing to anything in the knowledge that when the deliverables turn up, it will be someone else's problem to mangle them into shape.

[xyz]

Ah schucks... A new commentard and so cynical already. Bless.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Framework: a sufficiently vague set of buzzwords I can use to build my career,"

Hardly a buzzword. The use of the term framework in procurement has been commonly understood parlance for many years now, it's a practice used widely across the public sector to simplify procurement under the rules that exist and to (hopefully) get better value from combined buying power. I've also seen it used in large multinationals for broadly similar reasons.

[ecofeco]

Place your bets now!

So a gov tech project to overhaul gov tech.

Let's look at the past projects!

Ohh, it does not look good.

[NeilPost]

Re: Place your bets now!

It’s but a tech project … it’s a procurement framework.

Those who worked at its grandfather CCTA will be spinning in their graves. Esp. When working, repeatable integrated j to government and supplier standard solutions like ERO are crying out need … but then again all councils, universities and other ERP train wreck’s are special aren’t they.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Computer_and_Telecommunications_Agency

[MrGreen]

Insider Trading

A “framework” so that all MP’s have prior visibility of which companies are getting the contracts.

How convenient.

[Anonymous Coward]

In theory, purchasing from a framework should be easier.

However, even our procurement department say it isn't and a Single Action Waiver is quicker.

Both involve chasing people for physical signatures and trying to find out who has the paperwork.

Then Procurement & finance puts a risk on our Capex as it is not being spent.

We have to point out we are trying to spend but held up by the paperwork. Finance don't grasp that Capex isn't spent in steadily across months.

The joys of the NHS.