A while ago I wrote about SouthWest One, a Joint Venture Shared Service Company, which has taken over the administration and "back office" functions of several local government bodies and most recently the Avon & Somerset Constabulary.
Somerset & Sedgemoor MP Liddell Grainger (Con) has really torn into this one. In particular he has highlighted the vague rationale for undertaking such a high-risk approach to delivering public service, and the astonishing level of secrecy associated with the contract. The following paragraphs are from his speech, made last month, to the House of Commons:
Southwest One is formed of two councils—Somerset county and Taunton Deane borough—plus one police authority, Avon and Somerset constabulary. I remind the House that its business partner is IBM. Hon. Members will be surprised to learn that IBM owns 75 per cent. of the company. That means that, if Southwest One ever makes a profit, the “Big Blue” will pocket three quarters of it. It is a 10-year venture, which was supposed to save money. Somerset council claims that it will save it £200 million—£20 million a year. Yet the county offers no logical explanation or business realisation plan. Why? There is not one. [...]
[T]he architects of the joint venture company have strangled information to such a tiny trickle that nobody outside the magic inner circle knows what is going on.
Not one elected councillor of any persuasion has been given unrestricted access to the 3,000 page contract, which was signed last September. Most of it stays hidden. Councillors, the unions and the public who, like me, pay for all that, have been treated like mushrooms. We have been left in the dark and, every now and then, some smug soul chucks a bucket of manure over us. The last big bucket of dung was delivered yesterday by the very man who boasted that not a single job would be put at risk by the deal.
Trade magazine Computer Weekly are now taking an interest, and SouthWest One is working hard to dodge Freedom of Information requests. You can follow the story on Tony Collins's IT Projects Blog.
ITV West are doing a special programme on the subject on Thursday 24th July at 19:30 in the West Eye View documentary slot. One to watch, I think. While you're waiting, here's a short video delivered at last year's [2007] Society of IT Managers Annual Conference.
