Confidential papers on Project Quantum, a plan to cut costs at HM Revenue Customs by at least £205m a year, have reached me.
The papers are the joint works of HM Revenue and Customs, Capgemini and Fujitsu, the three main partners in the Aspire contract.
This is what some of the papers say about Project Quantum:
"Aspire has been fully engaged with IMS [information management solutions - part of HMRC] trying to meet the three Quantum objectives since early April.
"During [this] time the nature of the challenge and potential for solutions has clarified.
"Aspire is absolutely committed to continue the journey to deliver success for HMRC on Quantum.
"We have no doubt that the most expedient route to success will be mutual collaboration.
"We sincerely trust we are able to conclude a mutually acceptable way forward.
"Where we are
"Together we now believe we can achieve >£205m saving - this is balanced across price, volume and changes to ways of working
"Success is predicated upon complex dependencies - so any arrangement has to be treated as a bundle. Many things need to be done in parallel - need do-ability check when choices [are] clear.
"We need to create headroom to fund essential change - neither HMRC or [sic] Aspire has additional cash to do this. We believe there is a solution but it complicates the dependencies. Early savings drive investment pot for subsequent work. Timing [is] critical again.
"This remains extremely complex and there is still more refinement to do. Final sense check between all parties [is] needed, particularly in the area of CCN600 and its application." [CCN600 was the change notice related to a previous bout of cost-cutting known as the 'Aspire Challenge'.]
Links
Sensitive tax work may go abroad as HMRC seeks to cut outsourcing costs - Computer Weekly
HMRC to offshore tax work to India? Follow-ups by The Times, Telegraph and Daily Mail - IT Projects blog
Did HMRC scrap offshoring plan after leak to the media? - IT Projects blog
Taxman denies India outsource claim - Yahoo
HMRC to outsource sensitive tax work? - Details of Quantum project - IT Projects blog
Aspire contract - Capgemini website
"We sincerely trust we are able to conclude a mutually acceptable way forward.
"Where we are
"Together we now believe we can achieve >£205m saving - this is balanced across price, volume and changes to ways of working
"Success is predicated upon complex dependencies - so any arrangement has to be treated as a bundle. Many things need to be done in parallel - need do-ability check when choices [are] clear.
"We need to create headroom to fund essential change - neither HMRC or [sic] Aspire has additional cash to do this. We believe there is a solution but it complicates the dependencies. Early savings drive investment pot for subsequent work. Timing [is] critical again.
"This remains extremely complex and there is still more refinement to do. Final sense check between all parties [is] needed, particularly in the area of CCN600 and its application." [CCN600 was the change notice related to a previous bout of cost-cutting known as the 'Aspire Challenge'.]
Links
Sensitive tax work may go abroad as HMRC seeks to cut outsourcing costs - Computer Weekly
HMRC to offshore tax work to India? Follow-ups by The Times, Telegraph and Daily Mail - IT Projects blog
Did HMRC scrap offshoring plan after leak to the media? - IT Projects blog
Taxman denies India outsource claim - Yahoo
HMRC to outsource sensitive tax work? - Details of Quantum project - IT Projects blog
Aspire contract - Capgemini website
Comments (2)
You're reporting is well out of date - the document you refer to was produced over 10 weeks ago. The world has moved on greatly since then ...
Posted by Bing | August 12, 2009 9:18 AM
Posted on August 12, 2009 09:18
As the Quantum project documents are marked "Restricted - Commercial" you are in the know.
The documents referred to some of the challenges facing Capgemini, Fujitsu and HMRC as they try to make savings of £205m a year on HMRC's IT budget. A report on the Quantum team's findings is due next month.
You say that the world has moved on greatly since the documents were produced. If you could let me know in what way I'd be grateful.
Posted by Tony Collins | August 12, 2009 3:48 PM
Posted on August 12, 2009 15:48