Analysis Britain woke up to the prospect of a new government this morning, but it faces old problems in technology projects, policy and investment.
This is what a Labor government would do differently
In politics, there are post-Brexit challenges, including how to adapt data protection legislation, while there are new problems in how – yes, if – laws should be created that address the looming AI revolution. In investments, the UK has great ambitions to become a world leader. Within government IT, the projects are too numerous to mention. But there are red flags to look out for – some of them literally highlighted by Whitehall's own project watchdog.
From where your money goes, tax collector HMRC faces a double-barreled challenge. In July 2022, it began the hunt for a vendor to support its aging SAP tax collection system, with the total contract value set at a maximum of £400 million ($511 million). It currently relies on a "highly customized version of SAP ECC 6.0", launched in 2005. SAP will end mainstream support for ECC 6.0 in 2027, less than a year after the proposed contract ends. In January 2022, the authority awarded Capgemini a systems support contract that expires at the end of 2024.
HMRC is also looking at a challenging SAP overhaul to support its ERP system including HR and finance. The body leads a group of Whitehall departments, which include the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) under the umbrella of the so-called Unity programme, which has already been awarded a 'red' rating by Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). A red rating means that "successful delivery of the project appears to be unattainable." The £500 million ($639 million) procurement has already begun.
