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COUNTER AUTOMATION STEERING GROUP: FILENOTE WY © aor
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Horizon: ICL/Post Office Meeting
5 September 1997 ondhus te
148 Old Street wy Vap—
Attendees ae *
Post Office - John Roberts, Jerry Cope, Richard Close, Stuart Sweetman,
Paul Rich ( A
ICL - Keith Todd, John Bennett, Mike Coombs —_
Copy: Scott Childes, Mena Rego
Key Points Made
1. John Roberts set out the purpose (per his letter to Keith Todd), and
emphasised he needed:
* aclear picture from ICL on how they think the programme is going,
and their confidence in solving issues around delay; and
* assurance about the programme for the PO Board.
2. Keith Todd gave his overview:
a) * Horizon is critically important to ICL and Fujitsu, and to Post Office,
and (hoped) it is for DSS;
* his belief that the programme is do-able, and that ICL will commit
all necessary funds to deliver its part;
* his view that his own macro-objectives in setting out on the
programming had not changed, ie
- to put in a UK national infrastructure via post offices that could
be developed long-term for society as part of a “national information
flow”;
> to take the first serious steps, through using cards for DSS fraud
control, to take the “information society” to the technology-resistant
“mass market” in the country and then build on that (eg via
smartcards);
* he has taken a calculated gamble that delivering Pathway’s
programme will enable ICL to become the PO's main technology
partner;
* that Horizon remains the best practicable option for DSS;
* that Horizon is a world-class system (evidence of many postal
administrations wanting it).
b) * That there were short term practical issues around Releases 1c and 2,
which meant a three week slippage to the former, and at least a three
month slippage to the latter. The latter still needs another 4-6 weeks
for Pathway to validate and re-baseline Release 2.
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* that a key lesson learnt was that the joint sponsor contractual
relationship had made delivery much more complex, and that ICL
had been over-ambitious at the outset;
that the DSS attitude was less than helpful in some respects.
John Bennett and Mike Coombs gave a short presentation (copies
attached for Scott) in which they highlighted:
a number of contributory factors for delay, which in their view were
not solely Pathway’s fault;
in particular, the need to get an adequate and agreed requirements
baseline fully in place; the fact that the overall system was more
complex than first envisaged; and the need to understand
dependencies across the programme to get a common critical path and
a better change control process in place;
the complexities around level of requirements because of PFI;
Pathway’s need to improve their design, testing and integration
approach;
some commercial ideas to help POCL longer term.
ohn Roberts invited comments from Post Office colleagues. These were:
not accepting all of the contributory factors as described;
acknowledgement that some lessons had been learnt, and plans were in
place to address them;
that sponsors, via the PDA, had for some time been wanting a more
realistic timetable approach from ICL;
that confidence levels were still low;
that any new commercial ideas would be picked up by POCL with
Pathway;
that some POCL scenario planning had begun as a matter of prudence;
that POCL remained committed to providing all the resources
necessary to enable these plans to be made.
Lhe Roberts summarised as follows:
* the Post Office was very disappointed at the current situation;
the Post Office, and POCL, is still keen to do this project and make it
work;
ICL’s credibility is at stake, and confidence in Pathway within the Post
Office is still uncertain;
a realistic baselined plan must be settled, and then frozen, with issues
or changes properly identified and processed after that;
the open working between all parties must continue;
that the Post Office could not guarantee its position to sustain
commitment if a realistic plan together with evidence of delivery is not
forthcoming from ICL in the next, say, six months;
that the Post Office was willing to listen to ICL if it felt DSS was
unfairly inhibiting progress in some way.
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Keith Todd replied by saying he appreciated the spirit in which the
meeting had been conducted, and reaffirmed ICL’s commitment to make
it work. The meeting ended.
Following ICL personnels departure, Post Office colleagues discussed the
approach to the PO Board. It was agreed that a short update would be
given as part of the Chief Executive’s Report at the September Board, and
a fuller presentation by POCL would be given on the situation at the
November Board, once the independent PA review was fully known,
DSS’s reaction to it was established, and Pathway’s baseline planning
work had been completed. This presentation would also include a
summary of POCL’s strategic scenario planning, being done as a
contingency if Horizon was ceased or radically altered in its scope or
delivery.
Paul Rich
5 September 1997
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