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30 Mar 2004 : Column 1337W—continued

Child Support Agency

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the target response times are for the Child Support Agency telephone helpline; and what the most recent performance delivery against these targets is. [162170]

Mr. Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested.

Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Jon Trickett, dated 30 March 2004:




Correspondence

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer question reference 147652, tabled by the hon. Member for Northavon on 8 January. [161624]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 15 March 2004]: An answer was given to the hon. Member today.

30 Mar 2004 : Column 1338W

IT Projects

Mr. Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies, including the (a) start date, (b) the planned completion date, (c) the current expected completion date, (d) the planned cost and (e) the current estimated cost; and if he will make a statement. [147652]

Mr. Browne [holding answer 13 January 2004]: The Department for Work and Pensions and its businesses currently have in excess of 100 individual projects which encompass information technology changes to a greater or lesser extent. The Department's major projects are those contained in the modernisation programme. For the most part, these projects embrace both information technology and business change. The following table lists the Department's current major programmes and projects that are based predominantly on IT change with information on schedules, budgets and achievements to date.

The "Planned Costs" column provides forecasts to project implementation. The "Current Authorised Expenditure" column gives expenditure authorised to the programme or project's next approval gate.

Expenditure on projects is formally approved by the Department's governance process and authorised through review gates. These reviews ensure that projects are meeting the standards we expect (including business change, technical and commercial criteria) before authority to progress to the next stage of their development.

It should be noted that project details may alter as they pass through the project lifecycle.

Department for Work and Pensions modernisation programme

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs(£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Child Support ReformSeptember 1999October 2004Currently under review400400
Key achievementsSince 3 March 2003, new Child Support claims have been calculated using the new rules and new IT.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Customer Management SystemOctober 2001March 2006March 2006300150
Key achievementsThis system currently being rolled out will allow information supplied by customers to be gathered electronically by staff, improving efficiency and customer service. Staff will be able to check information supplied against that already held and issue the customer with a Statement reflecting the information supplied.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
ISCS/JSAPS Modernisation ProgrammeAugust 2002Various(5)Various2020
Key achievementsThe Department's updated IS/IT Strategy has identified new ways of delivering IT improvements at lower risk. The modernisation of our Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance systems is now being taken forward in line with updated IS/IT Strategy principles—for example, a preference for commercially available packages rather than bespoke development and staged incremental improvements rather than "big bang" replacement.

(5) In line with the Department's IT Strategy, this programme has changed from system replacement to a rolling programme of incremental improvements.


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ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Working Age IS/IT Strategy ProgrammeDecember 2003Various(7)VariousUnder review10
Key achievementsThis is a new programme in its initial start-up phase.

(6) This is a rolling programme of a number of business and IT improvement projects with individual start and completion dates.


ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
New Tax CreditsApril 2000April 2005April 20059090
Key achievementsJanuary 2003: IT Gateway between Inland Revenue and DWP went live.April 2003: Payment of new awards of Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit start. October 2003: 30,000 Minimum Income Guarantee child premium cases successfully completed.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Digital Office InfrastructureMay 2000June 2004June 2004750745
Key achievementsDOI aims to implement a modern IT infrastructure platform across the department allowing staff access to modern business software. By February 2004, over 119,000 PCs had been rolled out (plus 23,000 installed in ex ES sites).

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Managing Core Systems EstateNovember 2003March 2006March 2006151
Key achievementsThis is a new programme of enhancements to the Department's core systems and is in define and initiate stage.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Pensions Forecasting ProgrammeSeptember 1999April 2005April 20054030
Key achievementsOctober 2001: Combined Pensions Forecasting service available.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Pensions CreditAugust 2001October 2004October 2004285255
Key achievementsApril 2003: Advance application for Pension Credit invited.May 2003: Minimum Income Guarantee to Pension Credit—conversion started.January 2004: Pension Credit payable. 2.18 million pensioner households are now in receipt. Pension Credit Application Line have taken their millionth call.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Pensions Transformation ProjectJanuary 200220062006To be determined—project to be defined95
Key achievementsThis project is currently focusing on design and delivering changes to the Pension Service organisation, business processes, services and IT.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Customer Information SystemJuly 2003October 2006October 20065010
Key achievementsThis is a new project in its define and initiate stage.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Payment Modernisation ProgrammeOctober 1999December 2005December 2005465200
Key achievementsFrom April 2003: Direct Payment became the normal method of payment for new customers. Benefit systems aligned to accommodate direct payments.


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ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Resource ManagementApril 2001September 2006September 200615540
Key achievementsThe project is configuring standard Oracle software and implementing best practice processes to replace the Department's existing resource management systems.

ProjectStart dateDue end dateExpected end datePlanned costs (£ million)Current authorised expenditure (£ million)
Debt ManagementNovember 2000April 2005April 200511560
Key achievementsFebruary 2004: Nine out of 10 Debt Centres now set-up.


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