[LINK] FireLink Project Audit report

[Tom Worthington]

The ACT Auditor-General, released a report on problems with 
"FireLink" system, which was intended to provide emergency 
communication in Canberra. The report makes interesting reading for 
anyone interested in how IT projects go wrong:

"The audit concluded that there were deficiencies in the scoping, 
planning, procurement and management of the FireLink Project. As a 
result the overall management of the FireLink Project was neither 
efficient nor effective in the delivery of the intended outcomes to 
meet Authority and Agency operational needs.

Key findings ...  following the January bushfires in the ACT, the 
Government ... allocated $3.255m of the funding to the FireLink 
Project ... There was no business case prepared ... The procurement 
process failed to demonstrate clearly that the project would achieve 
a value-for-money ... consideration of risk for the FireLink Project 
was inadequate ... insufficient consultation with end users ... 
Performance requirements for the system and the supplier were not 
adequately specified ... change management to facilitate 
implementation of the new system was insufficient ... problems 
related to operational performance... did not achieve a number of the 
objectives stated in the procurement plan ... Project cost the Agency 
over $4.5m. ..."

     From: The FireLink Project, Performance Audit Report, Media 
Release, PA 07/11 28 August 2007

Media Release: 
<http://www.audit.act.gov.au/auditreports/reports2007/Report5_2007_Media_Release.pdf>
Full report: 
<http://www.audit.act.gov.au/auditreports/reports2007/Report5_2007.pdf>




Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                http://www.tomw.net.au/
Visiting Fellow, ANU      Blog: http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/atom.xml