It seems that HMRC is rethinking its approach to IT, or rather more specifically its approach to outsourcing its IT development. Computer Weekly reports that HMRC intends to double the number of its software developers to 600, in a bid to reduce its reliance on companies such as Capgemini and its existing Aspire contract.
The plan is to increase the number of its in-house software development team by 300 over the next 3 years, as the Aspire contract expires in 2017.
Mark Hall, HMRC's CIO, said that HMRC will not renew the Aspire contract in its current form. That's remarkably open of him, given that HMRC claim that they do not like disclosing contractual details lest it disadvantage them:
"...disclosure of commercially sensitive information could undermine the commercial interests of both parties and potentially the efficacy of the agreement we have with our contracted supplier."Anyhoo, Hall is quoted:
“My piece is to work toward 2017 and how to build capability internally around commercial, business analysis, digital capability and adopting agile methodologies.An "ecosystem of SME's"...hmmm, what does that mean?
We are looking at the role of the in-house team. Currently we have around 300 people working as software developers, we are looking to double that over the next three years and build an ecosystem of SMEs around them.”
He then went on to talk about a "slide path":
“This isn’t about looking to in-source everything, but moving to a more mixed environmentHall says that the future of HMRC lies in Siam (system integration and management model), either HMRC itself would take it on or it would use a supplier to do it.
We don’t want a big procurement, and we are trying to create a slide path toward internal capability.”
There is of course a fly in HMRC's oinkment, suppliers are reluctant to take on Siam in government because they view it as the most risky and least lucrative option.
The plans of mice, men and HMRC!
Tax does have to be taxing.
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So nearly 20 years after the Inland Revenue signed the Eagle Contract with EDS outsourcing its entire computing function the penny is finally beginning to drop that IT is too important to HMRC's day to day operation to be left entirely to in the hands of one or two massive IT corporations. You have to wonder why it took them so long to realise this fact
ReplyDeleteWonder how much of an expense to the customer that lesson cost?
ReplyDelete