Recommendations & Conclusions
10 items
1
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
Based on a report by the Comptroller & Auditor General we took evidence from the Home Office (the Department), including from Border Force, on progress with the Digital Services at the Border (DSAB) programme.1
Government response AI summary
The government provided its own introductory overview of the Digital Services at the Border programme, rather than engaging with the committee's initial descriptive statement about taking evidence.
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HM Treasury
7
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
In a May 2016 Treasury Minute response to this Committee, the Department provided Parliament with assurance over several aspects of DSAB. It committed to delivering Advanced Freight Targeting Capability in 2017 and to rolling out Border Crossing nationally by 2017. It did not meet these commitments and had still not …
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In a May 2016 Treasury Minute response to this Committee, the Department provided Parliament with assurance over several aspects of DSAB. It committed to delivering Advanced Freight Targeting Capability in 2017 and to rolling out Border Crossing nationally by 2017. It did not meet these commitments and had still not delivered these systems when the programme was eventually reset in 2019.13
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it had nothing further to add to previous evidence, providing no new information or commitments regarding its past failures to deliver Advanced Freight Targeting Capability and Border Crossing systems by 2017.
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HM Treasury
8
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
The Department noted that this was part of a wider pattern whereby those involved with the programme wanted to present a positive direction for the programme to senior management at a time when the programme was struggling in 2017 and 2018.14 This resulted in a failure to be open and …
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The Department noted that this was part of a wider pattern whereby those involved with the programme wanted to present a positive direction for the programme to senior management at a time when the programme was struggling in 2017 and 2018.14 This resulted in a failure to be open and transparent about delays.15 As a result, information about the progress of the programme was not passed up the line as required. This led to the Department not deciding to reset the programme until 2019, which in turn has resulted in additional costs.16
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Government response AI summary
The government declined to add anything further to its previous evidence, thus not addressing the committee's conclusion regarding failures in transparency and communication about program delays.
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HM Treasury
9
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
The Department suggested that external factors had hindered the programme, noting that new requirements emerged following the EU Exit referendum results in 7 Q 45; C&AG’s report Progress delivering the Emergency Services Network, Session 2017–19, HC 2140, 10 May 2019, Para 5 8 Q 44 9 Q 66 10 Q …
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The Department suggested that external factors had hindered the programme, noting that new requirements emerged following the EU Exit referendum results in 7 Q 45; C&AG’s report Progress delivering the Emergency Services Network, Session 2017–19, HC 2140, 10 May 2019, Para 5 8 Q 44 9 Q 66 10 Q 49 11 Q 37 12 Qq 66, 67 13 Qq 37, 38; HM Treasury, Treasury Minutes – Government responses on the Twenty–Seventh to the Thirty–Third reports from the Committee of Public Accounts Session 2015–16, Cm 9270, May 2016 14 Q 81 15 Q 67 16 Q 81 10 Digital Services at the Border
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it had nothing further to add to previous evidence, providing no new information or commitments regarding the external factors that hindered the Digital Services at the Border programme.
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HM Treasury
10
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
The Department acknowledged that by the time of its reset, the programme had not delivered the value for money that had originally been intended. The Department had delivered none of the three systems that it had intended to deliver on time.19 The programme removed two of these systems from the …
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The Department acknowledged that by the time of its reset, the programme had not delivered the value for money that had originally been intended. The Department had delivered none of the three systems that it had intended to deliver on time.19 The programme removed two of these systems from the scope in the reset, moving their capability to other programmes within the Department which will deliver later than the Digital Services at the Border Programme.20
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Government response AI summary
The government's response addresses mechanisms for oversight and assurance of delivery and costs incurred from deviations, which is a different recommendation, and does not directly engage with the committee's conclusion about the past failure to deliver value for money.
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HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
Some of the technical difficulties involved responding to the external factors that hindered the programme. For example, the Department created the Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS) programme in response to EU Exit which developed six new interfaces with which the DSAB systems needed to connect. In addition, the Department …
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Some of the technical difficulties involved responding to the external factors that hindered the programme. For example, the Department created the Future Border and Immigration System (FBIS) programme in response to EU Exit which developed six new interfaces with which the DSAB systems needed to connect. In addition, the Department 19 Qq 36, 90 20 Qq 36, 104–105 21 Qq 65, 66 22 Qq 66, 84 23 Q 81 24 Q 70 25 Q 90 26 Q 31 12 Digital Services at the Border explained that it had attempted to collaborate with other departments on storing secret data before eventually accepting the need to build its own data centre.27 These were the main external factors behind the programmes eventual reset.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it had nothing further to add to previous evidence, providing no new information or commitments regarding the technical difficulties and external factors that led to the programme's eventual reset.
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HM Treasury
16
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
The Department acknowledged that it has faced strong competition for people with the scarce technical skills required to deliver the programme, including from other government departments. The Department has now designed framework contracts with outside suppliers so that it is the responsibility of the suppliers to provide the right people …
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The Department acknowledged that it has faced strong competition for people with the scarce technical skills required to deliver the programme, including from other government departments. The Department has now designed framework contracts with outside suppliers so that it is the responsibility of the suppliers to provide the right people with the right skills to support the programme.31 To support its skills base the programme has building the working relationship between the Department’s Digital, Data and Technology team and Border Force. The Department stated that this has improved the balance between the technical experts who understand the necessary system requirements and frontline staff who understand the user perspective. The Department is also attempting to improve civil service skills for the long-term.32 27 Qq 39, 40 28 Q 89 29 Q 59; C&AG’s Report, Digital Services at the Border Figure 12 30 Q 59; C&AG’s Report, Digital Services at the Border para 3.8 31 Q 66 32 Qq 66, 74 Digital Services at the Border 13 3 Delivering the reset programme The risk of late delivery
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Government response AI summary
The government's response details technical improvements to the Border Crossing system, which does not address the committee's conclusion regarding the Department's challenges with scarce technical skills and its strategies for addressing resourcing issues.
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HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
The latest roll-out of Border Crossing started on time at the beginning of December
Government response AI summary
The government's response did not address the committee's observation that the Border Crossing roll-out started on time, instead providing information about setting out programme milestones.
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HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
The Department has outlined plans to ensure Border Crossing systems are available at crossing points other than the 56 major entry points which will have permanent access to the system. The Department stated that this will involve a mobile capability which will allow Border Force officers to access the Border …
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The Department has outlined plans to ensure Border Crossing systems are available at crossing points other than the 56 major entry points which will have permanent access to the system. The Department stated that this will involve a mobile capability which will allow Border Force officers to access the Border Crossing system temporarily at other entry points when they determine by a risk-based assessment that this is necessary.36 The Department has yet to fully set out its approach to delivering this mobile capability.
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it had nothing further to add to previous evidence, providing no new information or commitments regarding the mobile capability for Border Crossing systems at non-major entry points.
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HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
Forty-Eighth Report - Digital Services …
Not Addressed
For the Department to deliver its planned improvements to border security, it is dependent on the quality of the data input into its information systems. This will include new system inputs from European Union countries after Schengen Information System II (SIS II) uploads and records were removed from UK systems …
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For the Department to deliver its planned improvements to border security, it is dependent on the quality of the data input into its information systems. This will include new system inputs from European Union countries after Schengen Information System II (SIS II) uploads and records were removed from UK systems following the end of the transition period.39 These inputs will be replaced by uploads and records from Interpol. With either SIS II or Interpol, the UK is dependent on the speed with which other countries upload information onto these systems.40
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Government response AI summary
The government's response explicitly addresses a different recommendation (regarding progress against milestones for related programmes and their impacts) and does not engage with the committee's conclusion on the UK's dependency on data quality and upload speed from other countries.
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HM Treasury