SAP will be a real test of resolve
WHEN the States meets at the end of next month to consider whether to spend a total of £9.4m. on a centralised computer system pulling together the whole of government, it will face a significant test of its resolve.
WHEN the States meets at the end of next month to consider whether to spend a total of £9.4m. on a centralised computer system pulling together the whole of government, it will face a significant test of its resolve.
Not because of the sums involved. If all goes according to plan, that outlay will be recouped in five years, making the payback period attractively brief and worthwhile.
Neither should there be any real anxiety about the size and scope of the project or the fear that installing new computer systems can eat up time and money. In this case, what is proposed is a proven standard elsewhere, is being handled by acknowledged experts and the Guernsey scheme is comparatively small and manageable.
Similarly with the anticipated 50 redundancies. Yes, this is unsettling for the individuals concerned but the States will handle that sensitively and properly and – perhaps more importantly – natural turnover will account for many without any pain. And in any event, a very similar number (43 full-time equivalents) were shed by government last year without anyone noticing.
The real test for members, however, will be their resolve to do what's right for the island by removing duplication, introducing efficiencies and reducing overheads versus their desire to pursue departmental objectives.
While the Policy Council, by a majority, and the departmental chief officers understand the need for the scheme and the benefits it will bring, implementing it will require hard work and will tie up staff, possibly at the expense of other projects, to make it happen.
From a taxpayer and island perspective, developing the existing SAP system and extending it into a new 'shared services' administration model is an absolute no-brainer. Not only is is long overdue, but the principle was approved as part of the Tribal Consulting/Capita financial transformation programme.
What the forthcoming debate will really boil down to is whether States members really have the commitment to modernise and streamline the structure of government and save some significant taxpayer money or whether they have been paying lip-service to the need for economies.
