[LINK] Vic Multi-agency Projects Lambasted

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

<brd>
Apart from another example of a cross agency initiative with less than 
glowing outcomes, here's someone who agrees with me:

"Accordingly, time and cost outcomes should be characterised as 
'underestimates', not 'overruns'."
</brd>

Vic Multi-agency Projects Lambasted
AFR
Ranai LeMay
29 May 2008

Victorians auditor-general, Des Pearson, has slammed widespread problems 
with cross-agency state government technology projects in a report on 
the relatively small Rosetta directory initiative.

Rosetta was a $16.8 million project set up by state agency Multi­media 
Victoria in 2002. It was broadly successful in replacing three separate 
government contact directories with a single unified system.

However, Mr Pearson said he found the effort was completed seven months 
late and $3 million over budget, with $7.9 million in unexpected costs 
borne by other departments.

"The time and cost overruns experienced in Rosetta are becoming 
commonplace when reviewing multi-agency information and communications 
technology [ICT] implementations," he said in the report released yesterday.

Mr Pearson acknowledged Rosetta's problems were not on the same scale as 
some other technology projects recently audited. For example, the 
state's $323 million Health­Smart hospital software project has missed a 
number of project mile­stones and is now expected to require millions of 
dollars of additional subsidies.

However, the auditor said, the recurring problems indicated that lessons 
needed to be learnt.

"By their nature, multi-year and multi-agency ICT projects are complex, 
and this complexity needs to be better recognised when planning time 
frames and estimating costs," he said. "This audit confirms that 
realistic contingency is not being factored into plans.

"Accordingly, time and cost outcomes should be characterised as 
'underestimates', not 'overruns'."

In the audit report, the office of the secretary of the Department of 
Treasury and Finance defended the government against Mr Pearson's 
statements.

The office wrote in the report that while departments were consulted 
when estimates of full-life cycle costs were developed, it was often 
difficult to comprehensively establish actual project costs.

The department promises a number of reviews into the Rosetta project and 
other areas.

-- 
 
Regards
brd

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