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20 Jan 2009 : Column 1392W—continued

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which IT projects in his Department are running above the original agreed budget; what the cause of budget overrun is in each case; what corrective action has been taken in each case; and if he will make a statement. [240819]

Jonathan Shaw: Although the Department does not have any discrete IT projects, it has a number of projects and programmes that include changes to, or new, IT to a greater or lesser extent. We have included in the following table:

The projects and programmes currently on the Department's Portfolio where the IT element of the project or programme results in the development and/or implementation of services that underpin the delivery of departmental business;

The investment costs of the project/programme. Costs of running the solutions implemented by the projects and programmes are not included as in the vast majority of cases they are more than compensated for by the financial benefits they generate;

Initiatives that are associated with ongoing system improvements or enhancements as part of business as usual have not been included.

For all programmes or projects the costs and dates reported relate to the total project or programme and not only the IT element.

The following table identifies, in respect of those projects for which there has been a cost overrun on early business case estimates, the programme/project purpose and reason for budget overrun.

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Overall, the Department has a very strong track record in delivering major and complex change involving IT, of which the successful introduction of the employment and support allowance is the most recent example. But we are always seeking to improve our project management and governance processes. In particular:-

Strict project governance arrangements apply to all significant changes on cost, scope and tolerances;

At each key stage, projects are reviewed to establish whether they continue to align with business needs; and

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Original cost estimates are regularly reviewed at each stage in the project lifecycle;

It should also be noted that the scope of projects can change as they pass through the project lifecycle and as plans and costs become more robust. At each stage of this process they are subject to rigorous scrutiny to ensure that they continue to fit with departmental strategy and continue to deliver value for money.

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Project	Purpose	Originally agreed Budget (i) (£ million)	Current forecast costs (ii) (£ million)	Reason for Budget overrun (iii)
Customer information system	This project will deliver a database of key citizen information to be shared across DWP. The database will complement information currently available in the Department's key customer information systems, i.e. personal details computer system and departmental central index, and become their replacement. Consideration is being given for wider use of CIS by Other Government Departments.	40	88	The original timetable was impacted by IT complexities identified at the design stage. Later decisions were taken to phase the migration of data from the old to the new system to reduce risk and safeguard data integrity. The additional work to resolve the IT issues and manage the project to revised timescales resulted in additional costs.
Central payments system	A modern integrated central payment engine and accounts payable system to improve accounting for benefit/pension payments, reduce risks of service failure, increased speed and efficiency, and information for improved customer service and reduced fraud and error.	90	178	Significant extension of project scope was approved to include the development of interfaces with additional benefit systems. This resulted in re-planned delivery dates and an increase in system development and project costs.
Pensions transformation project	The programme will transform The Pension Service, bringing together business and IT change in ways that improve customer service and deliver efficiencies.	429	598	Significant changes in phased implementation plans were put in place to a reduce risks to operational delivery and customer service. The project is now running over a much longer time period to support implementation which has led to the increase in costs.
Method of Payment Reform programmes	Method of Payment Reform programmes will develop modern, electronic, secure and efficient methods of payments for customers who require payment by an alternate means other than direct payment to bank accounts.		48	The cost of the programme was revised as its scope developed. Overall the project costs have risen with an increase in IT costs although costs of converting to new business processes have decreased.
Lone parent obligations	Lone parents obligations is part of welfare reform and intends increasing the lone parent employment rate. Currently lone parents are not required to seek employment until their youngest child reaches 16. Under new proposals to be phased in (starting with youngest child aged 12), lone parents will no longer be entitled to income support solely for being a lone parent if their youngest child is above seven. In the last year before entitlement ceases, work focused interviews will take place to encourage lone parents to take up training opportunities, leading to employment	9	21	Following consultation with external stakeholders and the Social Security Advisory Committee, a series of design and timing changes have resulted in increased costs. The changes are aimed at making transition as easy as possible for lone parents.
Fraud referrals and interventions management system	Fraud referrals and intervention management system aims to deliver modernised programme protection activity	12	30	From September 2007, the programme board approved three additional system releases while the project was still in delivery mode. While this added to the system functionality, it also increased total project costs. The project completed in 2008.
Document repository service	This project seeks to support the Department's modernisation programmes through the provision of a document repository to store digitised images of documents received from customers (letters, faxes, e-mails etc.), cutting down paper in the organisation.	6	10	Higher test environment costs and revised costs to put in place more robust audit/management functionality than originally planned resulted in an increase in total project costs.
Jobseekers regime and flexible new deal(1)	This programme will replace and streamline the current new deal programmes and will concentrate on tackling the challenging problems of those who remain unemployed despite a strong economy and historically low unemployment. The programme will include provision of obtaining skills and mandatory work experience for customers	17	19	Implementation plans were changed slightly to incorporate a phased approach to delivery. This has resulted in a small increase in overall project costs.
DWP Change programme	This programme brigades a number of complementary initiatives to deliver the DWP Business Vision. It includes projects to bring in continuous improvement using lean techniques which should allow greater customer focus and efficiency in our process and business improvement projects to allow greater access to information.	245	246	Forecast costs have increased marginally but will be contained within the original budget and managed through the normal governance process.
Provider referrals and payment project	Deploy an IT system to automate and e-enable transactions between Jobcentre Plus and training providers.	17	18	Costs have increased marginally and are within tolerance. These will be monitored through normal governance processes.
(1) Jobseekers regime and flexible new deal project—the project budget excludes any costs associated with staff exits which may result from this project. A higher figure representing total business case costs was reported to NAO (this includes estimated exit costs). Exit costs associated with projects are held centrally and are regularly are reviewed as they are often avoidable.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons the number of his Department's IT staff have fallen every year since 2004-05; and if he will make a statement. [246675]

Jonathan Shaw: The Department's successful drive to increase the efficiency of its IT organisation has enabled it to reduce the number of its IT staff. This has been achieved through investment in improving staff skills, including the adoption of industry standard qualifications and best practice.

Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's critical IT systems are. [246677]

Jonathan Shaw: The Department has 149 major application systems currently supported by its existing hosting contract(s) which are listed. All of these systems are considered critical to the Department's business.

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App (Short Name)	App (Long Name/Description)
ATAS	Audit Trail Analysis Service (amended from System)
ATS	Appeals Tracking System
BAS	Benefits Adviser Service
BAMS	Benefits Agency Medical Service
BCS	Business Controls System
BDBSH	Birkenhead Dis Ben Syst Healthcheck (A)
BEL	Benefit Enquiry Line
BIS	Business Information system
BOC	Better off Calculator
BCS	Business Controls System
CA (GB)	Carer's Allowance formally known as ICA
CA (NI)	Carer's Allowance (Northern Ireland)
CA Online	Carer's Allowance Online
CBS	Call Booking System
CFS	Contract and Funding System
ChIS	Childcare Information System
CIB	Corporate Integration Backbone Services
CIS	Customer Information System
CMS	Customer Management System
CMS MIS	Customer Management System Management Information System
CMS NISSA	Customer management System Northern Ireland Social Security Agency
Comet	Comet
Complaints	Complaints Database
CPP	Common Payments Package
CRU	Compensation Recovery Unit
CRU NI	Compensation Recovery Unit NI
CRU On-line	Compensation Recovery Unit Online
CRU les	Compensation Recovery Unit Interactive e services
CSA Accounting
CSR Accounting (BMS/R)	CSR Accounting (BMS/R)
CSA DMS (GB)	CSA Debt Management System
CSCS	Child Support Computer System
CSCS Training
CSIMS	Customer Services Incident Management System
CSR (CS2)	CSR (Child Support 2)
DACS (NI)	Disability and Carers System (Northern Ireland)
DBS	Departmental Briefing System
DCDB FD	DCDB Fraud Database
DIS	Departmental Interface Server Replacement
DiSC	Disability Services Client System
DLA (NI)	Disabled Living Allowance Northern Ireland
DLACS/AACS	Disability Living Allowance /Attendance Allowance
DM	Debt Management (including DM Ml)
DMAS	Decision Making and Appeal System
DMS	Debt Management System
DRS	Document Repository System
ECFPOD	Electronic Claim Form Pensions Overseas Direct
EDON/DVI	Direct Vacancy Input
ELES	ESA LegaSuite Enquiry Service
Elise	Elise
Empower
eNIRS JC+	eNIRS JC+
ERM	Employer Relationship Management
ESA CAM	Employment Support Allowance Customer Account Management
ESA VME	Employment Support Allowance VME
ETD	Electronic Transfer of Data
FAMIS (PP)	FAMIS Payroll & Personnel
FAMIS ACC	FAMIS Accounting
FAMIS Ingres	FAMIS Ingres
FAO	Financial Accounting Operations
FAS	Financial Assistance Scheme
FRAIMS	Fraud Referral and Intervention Management System
FSD	Flexible Service Delivery
GMS	Generalised Matching Service
HBMS	Housing Benefits Matching System
HBSDC	Housing Benefit Subsidy Data Collection
HQ Library	HQ Library
leS Core	leS Core
IICS	Industrial Injuries Computer System
IJB	Internet Job Bank
INCAP	See PSCS/Incap
ISCS	Income Support Computer System
ISCS(NI)	Income Support Computer System Northern Ireland
ITG online	Integration Services Online (Provides new applications with online access to legacy applications which includes the following components: Integration Services Online for PFS, CMS, NTC, CSR and BMSR
ITG batch	Integration Services Batch (Provides new applications with batch access to legacy applications which includes the following components: Integration Services Batch for PFS, CMS, NTC, CSR, BMSR, WFI(P), RM, PXP, CRU, DLA, KFEM, LPS, LMS, NOL, OB, PCFE, GIREC, SIS, VA, DEBTMAN, FNCS, HBSDC, IPBA, IRDEG, NAFM).
IWB	In Work Benefit
JABS	Jobseeker Attendance Band System
JBA	Job Broking Access
Job Broking Access for Partners
Job Warehouse	Job Warehouse
JSAPS	Jobseeker's Allowance Payments System
Jobpoint KMS	Jobpoint Kiosk Management Service
JSMA	Jobcentre Search and Match app
LFR	Leeds File Registry
LMDW	Labour Market Data Warehouse
LMS	Labour Market System
LMSMI	Labour Market System Management Information
LO/DO/RO/HO/ OA	Office Automation
LPS	Local Payment System
MD	Mesothelioma Database
MFSR (Opstrat Access)	Multi Function Servers providing access to opstrat applications which includes the following component:
	MFSR DFP Web Logic Application
MFSR (Printer Access)	Multi Function Servers providing access to opstrat printing.
MOP	Method of Payment Application - CCMS
MI Challenge Database	MI Challenge Database
MPS	Course booking system
MyDWP	MyDWP
NDDP	New Deal for Disabled People database - client management system AKA NDDP CMS
New Deal for Disabled People	Duplicate of NDDP
NDEMI	New Deal Management Information
NIRS1	National Insurance Recording Systems 1
NOL	Notification Online
NOL/DLA	Notification Online / Disabled Living Allowance
NTC	New Tax Credits
OAS	Overseas Awarding System
OLE	OLE and Trusted Channel
OVBII	Overseas Branch Industrial Injuries
PACS	Payment Accounting Computer System
PCC	Parliamentary Correspondence
PCFE	Pension Credit Front End
PDS2000	Pensions Direct System 2000
PDES	Pension Direct Enquiry Service
PENS	Penserver
PFS	PFS
PFS MIS	Pensions Forecasting System MIS
PIB	PTP Integration Backbone Application
PSCS (NI)
PSCS/lncap	Pensions Services and Incapacity Benefit Computer System
PSOD	Pension Sharing on Divorce
PTP	Pension Transformation Programme (excluding the PxP PTP component, but including the following components: PTP Siebel Application, eDocs, PTP Bank Wizard, PTP QAS Application)
PxP	Push and Pull
RATS	Reassessment Appeals Tracking System
Respond	Respond Pensions and ICE
RDAS	Referral and Data Analysis Service
RMS	Resource Management System
Rightfax	Rightfax
RKMS	Remote Kiosk Management System
RTPF	Real Time Pensions Forecasting
RPTC	Retirement Pension teleclaims for Northern Ireland
Self Serv Portal	Self Service Portal
SFAS	Social Fund Accounting System
3FCS	Social Fund Computer System
SFCS (NI)
SIDDB	Sustainability in DWP Database
SPVAFS	Service Personnel and Veterans Agency Futures Suite
Spyts	Special Payments (including CSA)
SSP	Small Systems Platform (Assaults and Accidents Database(AAD), Disability and Discrimination Database (DDB), Electronic Filing System (EFS), Official Correspondence Database (OCD), Under 18 Support Team (UEST)
STARS	Storage and Retrieval System
TeS	Tactical E-Services
TPJB	Third Party Job Bank
VME PROXY	VME PROXY
WFES	Winter Fuels Enquiry Service
WFPS	Winter Fuel Payment System
WFTC	Working Families Tax Credit/Disabled Person's Tax Credit
WFTC/DPTC
WFTC/DPTC (NI)
Workstep	Workstep
WPCS (WPKI)
WPCS (WPKI)	War Pensions Computer System

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