Queensland Health, home to the now-famous payroll debacle that has cost executive jobs, a billion worth of budget blow-outs and earned IBM a ban from the sunshine state, is embarking on an IT refresh. The agency, via the Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts (DSITIA), has announced a partners …

COMMENTS

House rules Send corrections

This topic is closed for new posts.

Thursday 29th August 2013 03:21 GMT dan1980

Here's a start . . .

*Step 1* - Set up a group to oversee the implementation and draw up a draft budget.

*Step 2* - Engage a dedicated 3rd-party consulting team to review the current systems and assess needs - they should speak with all project stakeholders including (and especially) end-users.

*Step 3* - Engage a separate systems integration team to scope a solution, directly addressing the criteria listed in the review.

*Step 4* - Create a firm budget and timeline.

*Step 5* - Get you legal team to draw up a contract. Make sure it is detailed, listing specific processes, outcomes, timelines, budgets and appropriate penalties for failing to meet any of them. Set mandatory review points, both by schedule (to assess progress) and at the completion of any major function/component. Reviews should include representatives from all stakeholders.

*Step 6 * - Review, test and communicate continually.

Or, to simplify: plan properly, budget properly, manage properly and review properly.

Let's go one simpler: treat it as if it was your own money.

Engaging a single entity to do it all and just letting them get on with it has the potential to be quicker and cheaper if it all works out well. Unfortunately, it is almost assured to work out quite badly indeed, costing far more in overruns and 'fixes'.

Take the time and put in the work to plan it out properly and you will almost always come out ahead with a more functional system that better meets your needs, delivered far closer to on time and in budget.

0 0
1. Thursday 29th August 2013 05:21 GMT Gray Ham
  
  Re: Here's a start . . .
  
  And ...
  
  *Step 7* Conduct a review of the project (or, learn from your mistakes).
  
  The Government's finger-pointing at IBM would suggest otherwise, though. And, holding the briefing on Friday 13 is maybe not auspicious.
  
  0 0
2. Thursday 29th August 2013 06:29 GMT dan1980
  
  Re: Here's a start . . .
  
  The key thing is to not start looking at a solution until you have properly identified your needs.
  
  Doing it the other way round almost guarantees a solution that isn't ideal but that way of doing things is pretty much a government specialty.
  
  I suppose that comes from governments wanting to make big noises about anything they're doing or planning to do. Oppositions (and the media) often criticise governments for wasting time talking and planning but not actually doing. So from a government perspective, it must seem better to start a project NOW and have it blow out by 2 or 3 years (and millions of dollars) than to spend a year planning properly and have it delivered sooner and in budget.
  
  At least they can say they're doing something. (No one seems to care if they're doing ti right.)
  
  Paris for the shameless self-promotion without substance.
  
  0 0
3. Friday 30th August 2013 00:09 GMT FlatEarther
  
  Re: Here's a start . . .
  
  Sounds good, but that's what they did with QH Payroll. It's just that the ballsed-up steps 1,2,3,4,5 and 6.
  
  Why will this time be better?
  
  0 0