Council chiefs in Fife have promised to fully investigate serious concerns raised about the introduction of a new IT system currently mired in controversy.
Fife Council’s executive committee last month agreed to give greater scrutiny to major capital projects in future after question marks were raised about the implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).
The software was brought in to streamline back office processes and save the local authority money, but problems and delays with the system have meant that the council will now save around £18 million less than previously anticipated.
A working group set up to look at the issue highlighted worries over ERP and the executive committee made its recommendations, but the region’s environment, finance and communities scrutiny committee has formally called in the matter suggesting the council’s response did not go far enough for their liking.
Now council leader David Ross and chief executive Steve Grimmond have pledged to meet with the working group to discuss the finer detail of their concerns, while Mr Grimmond has also been tasked with preparing a report for a future executive committee setting out the current position with ERP.
Mr Ross said: “Just to make it clear, we’re not questioning the work done by the working group, or that there aren’t issues that need to be addressed. I think everyone is agreed on that point.
“We tried to do that in the motion approved by the executive at that time and that clearly hasn’t answered all the points that have been raised by the scrutiny committee and the working group.
“We need to have options brought forward to look at how we improve the governance, the scrutiny and the monitoring of major capital projects, both at the point of their initiation but also through their implementation.”
Current estimates suggest the system will now only save around £40.6 million by 2019 as opposed to the £58.6 million initially forecast, although the working group said they have yet to see evidence of any savings arising from ERP.
The working group also claimed that ERP has cost in excess of £8 million so far; that the 10-month timescale given to implement ERP was “distinctly and unrealistically optimistic”; that no consultation had been carried out with staff until the council was committed to ERP; that staff have been having to run parallel systems to carry out council business; and that council officers had been “scared” to speak out about any concerns they had for fear of reprisal.
Mr Ross said he felt, as a minimum, that revised quarterly monitoring reports should come forward to the executive and scrutiny committees, adding that a process should be in place for all members to flag any concerns.