Yet another outsourcing failure at Barnet Council - When will they acknowledge the risk?

Barnet Council has been hit by yet another failure of an outsourced service. This morning, I've emailed the Deputy Leader of the Council for his comment on the failure of the E2E outsourced IT services contract. A report on the councils website reveals that the failure of this service poses a significant risk to the Council, yet there is no word and no press coverage of the problems. The council seem to be burying their heads in the sand and ignoring any bad news. The councils own report says:-

The ICT services delivered include critical infrastructure services supporting the council’s ICT services. Without a suitable replacement service the council would be at risk of losing the majority of ICT in the event of any component failures.

This is the type of risk that the council wish to expose us all to with One Barnet. So, you may ask, what has happened? Basically E2E went broke and simply withdrew the sercvice. The Councils own report says

The Managed Infrastructure Service, supplied by 2e2 (UK) Limited, has since been withdrawn by the administrators, and all on-site contract services was removed on 8 February 2013.

This type of failure is never mentioned in the risk registers.

Here is what I have said to the Deputy Leader, Councillor Daniel Thomas. I've copied the Leader and the CEO, lets see what they have to say. One has to wonder what additional costs this will incur to the taxpayer?

From: Roger Tichborne

To: cllr.d.thomas@barnet.gov.uk

Cc: Cornelius, Cllr Richard Conservative ; Travers, Andrew

Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 12:09 PM

Subject: New outsourcing failure at Barnet Council - This should be ringing alarm bells

Dear Cllr Thomas

 

Please can you tell me if the information in this DPR document is as you would expect it to be?

 

http://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s7794/1946%20-%20Interim%20IT%20Infrastructure%20Support%20Solution.pdf

 

It appears to me that several important sections have been missed out.

 

I have concerns that yet another outsourced contract has failed. This report on the coouncils own website states

 

----------

8.5 The Managed Infrastructure Service, supplied by 2e2 (UK) Limited, has since been

withdrawn by the administrators, and all on-site contract services was removed on

8 February 2013.

 

8.6 The ICT services delivered include critical infrastructure services supporting the

council’s ICT services. Without a suitable replacement service the council would be

at risk of losing the majority of ICT in the event of any component failures.

 

8.7 With effect from 8 February 2012 2e2 (UK) Limited failed to meet their contract

obligations and the council has implemented an emergency procurement. Officers

have reacted immediately to the notice, and have secured an appropriate provider

against which to mitigate the risk of the continuation of the service.

---------

 

I find it odd that the problem has persisted since Feb 2012, yet the DPR is only now being signed off. This cannot give great confidence in the councils ability to manage such scenarios can it? How many such failures of outsourcing in Barnet do we need before someone wakes up to the issues of risk.

 

When will the Council wake up to the inherent risk associated with outsourcing.

 

Regards

Roger Tichborne

www.barneteye.blogspot.com