The company had not commented since the States announced three weeks ago that it was terminating Agilisys' 10-year, £200m. contract on, as it stated, performance grounds.
But in a statement issued today, Cheryl Bennett, managing partner of Agilisys Guernsey, said that cancelling the contract after six years ‘does not reflect the quality of our work, the integrity of our team, or the reality of the services we have delivered’.
She said that the company ‘firmly rejected’ the basis on which the contract was terminated.
Although she did not reference legal action in the statement, it is understood that Agilisys is still considering its position in that regard.
She denied that the company had been involved in the oft-criticised Revenue Services Transformation Programme and said that she was proud of the company’s work from supporting the day-to-day delivery of public services to investing in the development of the Digital Greenhouse.
Back in January, following the publication of the Scrutiny Management Committee’s critical report of the Agilisys contract, the company said it had inherited a legacy IT estate that had been under-invested in for more than 20 years but said it had ‘made significant strides in building digital foundations’.
Ms Bennett said at the time: ‘It’s incredibly rewarding to know that the work we do every day is having a positive impact on the people and communities we serve.’
In pulling the plug on the contract last month, the Policy & Resources Committee said that the decision had been taken ‘in the best interests of the States’.
Agilisys Guernsey - our commitment and the facts
Cheryl Bennett, managing partner of Agilisys Guernsey, responds on behalf of the company to the States decision to terminate the contract between them.
It is with real disappointment that I write this.
However, following the States of Guernsey’s decision last month to terminate our contract and the ensuing public announcement and media speculation, it is right that the facts, which will become self-evident in due course, should be available to islanders now.
Since being appointed in 2019, Agilisys Guernsey has played a central role in the island’s efforts to modernise government technology.
Our remit was to transform outdated IT systems within the defined scope, support digital innovation, and help build the resilience and capabilities needed for a future-facing public service.
From the outset, we committed significant time, investment and expertise to deliver against that brief.
We built a dedicated team of over 40 professionals on-island who were further supported by our wider UK network. Together, we worked closely with government departments to deliver a more integrated, secure, and responsive IT environment.
It is important to note that we saw our work as a long-term partnership built on a shared ambition to transform the island’s digital infrastructure for the benefit of all islanders.
To date, we have chosen not to comment publicly on this matter. However, given the ongoing media coverage and the contrasting recollections that have been expressed publicly, we feel it would be helpful to inform islanders themselves of the facts which will become self-evident in the coming weeks and months.
The recent criticism directed at Agilisys is unjustified. It does not reflect the quality of our work, the integrity of our team, or the reality of the services we have delivered. We firmly reject the basis on which our contract was terminated and the assertions made about our performance.
We are taking steps to ensure that the relevant facts are fully established and clearly understood. Our focus is on fairness, transparency, and recognising the dedication of the many individuals, many of them local, who have delivered vital services with professionalism and pride.
One of the most serious claims relating to perceived provision of services by Agilisys concerns IT outages in late 2022 and early 2023.
Independent reviews, including those by PwC and the Scrutiny Management Committee, have clearly concluded that these incidents arose from infrastructure failures, including issues with air conditioning, uninterruptible power supply systems, and backup generators.
These legacy elements are managed by the States of Guernsey themselves.
It has also wrongly been suggested that we were responsible for leading and delivering the Revenue Services Transformation Programme.
In fact, this programme is being led by a third-party provider entirely separate from Agilisys and appointed directly by the States themselves.
Despite these comments, our continuing commitment to Guernsey has never wavered. We are proud of our accomplishments. Our work has ranged from supporting the day-to-day delivery of public services to investing in the Digital Greenhouse to help grow the next generation of local digital entrepreneurs.
Above all, we are proud of our people. The local team we’ve built has consistently delivered with skill, resilience, and integrity. Their work has made a meaningful difference and deserves to be recognised, not undermined.
Over the next seven weeks, in line with the States’ instructions, we will continue to deliver IT services professionally and reliably until 31 July. After that point, Agilisys will no longer be responsible for the States’ systems. Until then, our priority remains to ensure continuity, stability, and doing our part to effect as smooth a transition as possible.
To our team members, clients, and partners – thank you. The trust you have placed in us and the work we have achieved together is what will truly define our time here, not the recent headlines.
This is not the ending we hoped for.
But it does not erase the legacy we leave behind – one of service, innovation, and long-term value to the people of Guernsey.
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