Recommendation 7
We recommend that Defra and the RPA provide us
with an explanation of how the existing Change Programme can be
adapted to provide the systems needed to underpin the Single Payment
Scheme. We further recommend that they set out what work in the
Change Programme has proved unnecessary due to the introduction
of a single farm payment, and thus what expenditure has been nugatory.
(Paragraph 25)
The RPA was aware, when the contract to deliver the
new IT system was let, that discussions on CAP reform might impact
the solution. Options were included in the contract on the bovine
schemes, which seemed the most likely, at that stage, to be amended
or replaced. The design of the solution involved:
- databases containing customer,
land and animal details;
- a generic 'claim-to-pay' processing system, using
workflow capability;
- interfaces for cross checking and inspection
(including risk analysis) purposes; and
- business rules which are specific to individual
schemes.
The solution works equally well for the Single Payment
Scheme and it follows that there has been no nugatory expenditure
as a result of the EU Council's decisions on the CAP reform. The
cost of the solution has increased, however, to reflect significant
changes which needed to be made to the delivery schedule to reflect
the timing of the agreement on the EU regulations and the subsequent
decisions on implementation. The overall length of the contract
has increased from the 21 months originally envisaged to 33 months.
|
