The government deliver an IT system on time and under budget? you jest. I'm on a limb here, I've done a few projects (IT related) for government and local government organisations, and I can tell you the chances of delivering these systems on time and on cost is unlikely. However, what it comes down to nine times out of ten is the supplier of the product. There is supposed to be a fair and unbiased tendering service that takes place. Thats all well and good but they always underbudget to win the contract and don't have the resources to deliver the project. What often lets it down is the relationship that exists between the government orgnisation and the supplier. When that happens things break down and things don't get delivered. The suppliers often see easy money and exploit under-experienced organisations, often at the public's expense. Today I learned that the DfES and the ODPM blocked a solution that went against several findings of some serious enquiries (think Soham and Victoria Climbe). Instead of developing an intelligent system that looked for patterns in abuse of children as submitted by different agencies, insisting on relying on human element. The same human elements that failed three little girls with their lives ahead of them. Why? IT is there to be exploited by the few and allowing a few to suffer because of it. It's wrong. When will people wake up and learn, done right, it shouldn't cost the earth. I mean how much is someone's life worth at the end of the day? What gives them the right to put a figure on it?