This week is “CAPITA WEEK” in the London Borough of
Barnet. Following the decision of the cabinet of Barnet Council to award CAPITA
a £750 million outsourcing contract, which will destroy 300 jobs in the
Borough, the local blogs are spending a week investigating the record of Capita
at other local authorites.
We are highlighting issues with outsourcing
projects run by Capita, Barnet Councils chosen supplier for the One Barnet
project. We are asking councillors to ensure that they are fully aware of all
of the likely issues, before they put pen to paper with this massive contract.
Today we look at implementation. Have Capita
implemented the systems that were
promised? We look at the Individual Learning Accounts system How did the
implementation of this program by Capita work out?
Capita won a £50 million contract to run the
ill-fated programme, which collapsed amid mounting allegations of fraud among
learning providers and concern over costs that went £93 million over budget.
A report on an inquiry by the education and
skills select committee criticised Capita, which boasts in its annual reports
of experience in handling government projects requiring tight anti-fraud
measures, for failing to point out that a lack of safeguards in the ILA system
made it "a disaster waiting to happen".
Barry Sheerman, who chaired the committee,
said the contract between the government and Capita "did not spell out the balance of risk and responsibility".
Barnet bloggers have continually raised the issues of risk and
responsibility. Our concerns have been completely ignored.
If you are worried, join the Barnet Alliance for Public Services , who
are holding a demonstration against One
Barnet at Capita HQ on Tonight, 5-7pm,
71 Victoria Street,
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