[LINK] Immigration plugs $44m budget gap

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

<brd>
Sorry to keep going on about it, but here is a prime example of what 
I've been banging on about recently.

The people doing the business case for the Systems for People project
came up with a projected cost. They were working with a limited 
understanding of the system and its development costs. Everything was 
conceptual, on paper and in people's minds - there was no way to test 
against reality.

When the project actually happens and reality strikes, it seems that the 
project is not meeting budget. So who gets the blame? The people working 
with reality, not the people who stuffed up the estimates.

It really pisses me off - but you can probably tell that.

BTW, I know nothing about, or of, the Systems for People project.

I think I'll go and watch the rain and thunderstorms dumping on Sydney, 
it's less stressful.
</brd>

Immigration plugs $44m budget gap
Mahesh Sharma
February 07, 2008
The Australian
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23176667-15306,00.html

AUSTRALIA'S immigration authority is struggling to contain rising costs 
for its Systems for People project.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship asked for an extra $44 
million to cover a budget shortfall in its Systems for People project

A spokesman for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) 
confirmed that the agency asked the Department of Finance and 
Deregulation (DFD) for an extra $44 million to cover a budget shortfall 
in the project last year.

At the time DFD called in Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to review the 
request.

BCG recently completed its review and it’s expected to approve the $44 
million extension to the project's budget. If the request is approved, 
the cost of the Systems for People project will increase $24 million, to 
$514 million.

Last year, Immigration's chief information officer Bob Correll told The 
Australian that its labour contract costs had grown by around a quarter. 
He said that DIAC would be forced to request additional funding if it 
wasn’t able to hire more in-house workers to rein in its spending.

The $44 million would go towards covering an additional $5 million in 
contractor costs for the 2007 financial year and $39 million for the 
current financial year. The $39 million would be made up of $19 million 
in additional funding for the project, and $20 million brought forward 
from the groups 2009 budget.

The group will be left with $20 million divot in its budget for the 2009 
financial year which will fall to $79 million.

The spokesman said that $290 million had been spent on the project which 
was currently halfway toward its completions. He said that and that the 
roll-out was on schedule.

-- 

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Sydney Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au