A government database of offenders has been branded a “shambles”, after costs trebled to £700 million. The C-Nomis programme was “out of control” and three years late, the House of Commons Committee of Public Accountsstated in one of its most damning reports, blasting the government’s “stupidity”. The system was supposed to provide full tracking of offenders from the courts, through prison, release and probation. In January last year, the MoJ abandoned plans for a single shared database and began work on a re-scoped programme for five separate smaller IT projects with a delivery date of March 2011. The committee criticised the managers in charge of the project for lacking even a “minimum level of competence”. Weak management and a “culture of over-optimism” among staff had led to a string of failures and the “grossly underestimated” costs, the committee found. The IT system was abandoned in 2007 when the cost overruns became apparent. The committee found that the National Offender Management Service, in charge of the project, was unable to properly explain what the £161 million spent befoer the system was abandonned had been used for, though the MPs estimated lead supplier EDS had been paid £87 million in the period. In March, the National Audit Office, whose report led to the Committee of Public Accounts’ hearings, said the project was a “masterclass in sloppy project management”. It highlighted weak supplier contracts that did not allow the MoJ to put pressure on the IT firms involved, but largely blamed the government rather than suppliers EDS and Syscon. Edward Leigh, chairman of the Committee of Public Accounts, said he was “inured to the dismal procession of government IT failures”. But he added for today’s report that “even we were surprised by the extent of the failure of C-Nomis”. “There was not even a minimum level of competence in the planning and execution of this project,” he said. Richard Bacon, a member of the committee, blasted the government for appointing a Senior Responsible Owner on the project who had no IT experience. “What on earth possessed the Home Office and the National Offender Management Service to appoint someone whom they knew didn’t have sufficient experience or training to run this project properly?” he said. “Such stupidity defies rational analysis.” Related content brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software Why data virtualization is critical for business success Data is your most valuable resource—but only if you can access it fast enough to address present challenges. Data virtualization is the key. By Milan Shetti, CEO of Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rocket Software The hybrid approach: Get the best of both mainframe and cloud Cloud computing and modernization often go hand in hand, but that doesn’t mean the mainframe should be left behind. A hybrid approach offers the most value, enabling businesses to get the best of both worlds. By Milan Shetti, CEO Rocket Software Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street Dear Oracle Cloud…I need my own space Access results from a recent Rimini Street survey about why enterprises are rethinking their Oracle relationship and cloud strategy. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 5 mins Cloud Computing brandpost Sponsored by Rimini Street How to evolve IT systems into innovation engines Today’s IT leaders are more than eager to modernize with best-fit cloud solutions that drive innovation and rapid business impact, but they need to do so with ROI-based solutions. By Tanya O'Hara Nov 28, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe