UK Government IT projects
The cost to the taxpayer of abandoned Whitehall computer projects since 2000 has reached almost 2bn
Nothing new in here, but this project:
It was being used to report around 30,000 crimes a year but began to falter when defence technology company, Qinetiq, was brought in to build a replacement in 2005. Costs began to spiral and the new system was deemed to be unfit for purpose, resulting in suspension of the service last March and final closure in December. The deal is now subject to a legal dispute, with Qinetiq claiming that it has completed the work it was contracted to do.
Reminds me of this project:
This is in sharp contrast to conventional contracts which attempt to pass on risk or rather, as Mathew Riley, the companys commercial director for Terminal 5, the financial consequences of risk to contractors. BAA realised that such contracts do not really work because ultimately either the risk would always fall back on itself, or the attempt to pass on risk would result in massive legal claims and counterclaims.
http://www.christianwolmar.co.uk/articles/pubfinance/apr22,05.shtml
Although Heathrow is possibly as close as you can get to hell on earth, they do have something to teach us.