Although the Department does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes which include changes to IT to a greater or lesser extent. We have included in the following table:
those current projects and programmes undertaken by the Department where the IT element of the project or programme results in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business, and
where non-delivery of the IT element would significantly damage the project's or programme's ability to deliver its intended results.
For all programmes or projects with the exception of CSA Operational Improvement Plan the costs and dates reported relate to the total project or programme and not only the IT element. In the case of CSA OIP which is an operational improvement programme only the IT element costs and delivery timelines are recorded in the table.
The table shows information on their purpose, start date, original planned completion date, expected completion date, originally planned costs and estimated costs.
It should be noted that the scope of projects change as they pass through the project lifecycle and as plans and costs become more robust. At each stage of this process they are checked to ensure that they continue to fit with Departmental strategy and continue to deliver value for money.
Project Purpose Start Date (i) Original Planned Completion Date (ii) Expected Completion Date (iii) Originally Planned Costs (iv) (£ million) Estimated Costs (v) (£ million) Pensions Transformation Project—see note 4 The programme will transform The Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies. January 2002 March 2007 2010/11 429 829 Customer Information System This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. Personal Details Computer System and Departmental Central Index, and become their replacement. 15 July 2003 September 2007 February 2008 40 83 The Document Repository Service This project seeks to support the Department's modernisation programmes for GB & NI (Disability Carers Service (DCS), Jobcentre Plus (JCP), Pension Service (TPS) and The Child Support Agency (CSA)) through the provision of a document repository to store digitised images of documents received from customers (letters, faxes, e-mails etc.) July 2006 November 2008 November 2008 6 5 Real Time Pensions Forecasts (RTPF)—Strategic Alignment To strategically align the RPTF e-service by utilising the Retirement Planner Project (RPP) solution (with RTPF service ‘ring-fenced’) and moving to the Corporate Integration Backbone (CIB) and Distributed Known Facts model. May 2006 February 2007 May 2007 1 1 State Pension Deferral Project To identify, co-ordinate, assure, communicate and deliver changes to business systems and process, within timescales, to secure the introduction of changes to State Pension deferral rules. April 2004 April 2006 April 2007 7 6 Resource Management This programme will provide modernised HR, financial and procurement functions for DWP staff. It will introduce significant business process change, enabling departmental resources to be managed more effectively. April 2001 April 2005 June 2007 96 208 Central Payments System (formerly part of Payment Modernisation) A modern integrated central payment engine and accounts payable system to improve accounting for benefit/pension payments, reduce risks of service failure, increased speed and efficiency, and information for improved customer service and reduced fraud and error. April 2004 October 2006 December 2010 90 141 Customer Management System (previously known as Working Age Services Modernisation Project (WASMP) The CMS releases develop and implement a new front-end data gathering system for primary Jobcentre Plus benefit processing systems, including auto-transfer of data. January 2001 April 2008 April 2008 252 266 Employment and Support Allowance The project delivers the system and processes to implement the new ESA allowance. August 2006 October 2008 October 2008 295 295 WATCh2 WATCh 2 will develop and deliver a modern, flexible, (COTS, Siebel-based) IT platform in support of business priorities—including improving services for employers and improved programme protection. November 2004 October 2006 June 2007 68 91 HR IS/IT programme Following the merger of the Employment Service and the Benefits Agency Human Resources functions the DWP HR organisation is undergoing modernisation and moving from a centralised, old-style personnel function to a new outward facing HR Group. This includes changing how DWP delivers policies and services. The HR IS/IT Programme contributes to the delivery of these improvements ensuring its operation is efficient and effective and supports Departments learning and leadership objectives. June 2003 March 2006 March 2008 63 62 On Time Solution Provide a range of improved information services to DWP businesses, including improved quicker Management Information, Fraud and Error intervention and analysis. March 2006 March 2011 March 2011 11 11 Operational Improvement Plan (see note 5) Operational and organisational restructuring of the Child Support Agency to deliver more money to more children. April 2006 April 2009 April 2009 107 107 Notes: 1. Original planned completion date and originally planned completion costs are the date and costs agreed to by the relevant departmental management committee at the time the project or programme passed through Gate zero (or an equivalent process) of the Department's governance procedures. We expect these to change as costs and timelines become clearer through the lifetime of the project. We continually review costs at the appropriate governance points to ensure that they continue to deliver value for money. 2. The costs above represent the costs of implementing the particular project and programme. Costs of running the solutions implemented by the projects and programmes are not included above as they are more than compensated for by the savings they generate. These savings are demonstrated in the recent NAO report “The Efficiency programme: A Second Review of Progress”. 3. In addition to the above projects and programmes Electronic Registered Files is undertaking a pilot and a review of this project will be carried out once the pilot is completed. 4. When first conceived the Pensions Transformation Programme was to be funded by way of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) arrangement. During the early stages of development, best practice for financing the programme indicated that PFI was no longer the appropriate financing method and thus it was decided to use departmental funds. Financing the development using departmental funds has the effect of increasing the development costs of the programme while reducing the operating cost of the programme by a similar amount. Thus the actual amount of money committed to the programme is broadly the same. 5. The Child Support Agency Operational Improvement Plan is a business recovery programme and is not a change project in the normal sense of the word. The focus of the programme is the organisational and operational restructuring of the Agency to deliver significant performance improvements and get more money to parents, it specifically aims to tackle the key area of debt, compliance and enforcement. Over a three year period the programme will design, develop and implement, process and organisational change underpinned by continuing remediation of existing computer systems and the introduction of further IT enhancements.