POLICE Scotland have scrapped a £60 million IT system dogged by glitches and gremlins, after a private contractor said it could not be delivered on budget or on time.
“i6” was intended to be one computer system replacing the more 130 IT and paper-based systems used by the eight old regional forces.
It was supposed to reduce bureaucracy and paperwork for 20,000 staff, and crucially free officers from backroom work and get them back on to the beat.
If it worked, it would have meant all of Police Scotland’s data and information being on one system, and less chance of human error. Private contractor Accenture had won the contract to build the software, which would do everything from dispatching officers to recording incidents.
Tensions between Accenture and Police Scotland have been evident for some time. The system was supposed to go live in December, but was then pushed back until the autumn before being put on hold indefinitely.
At a committee meeting in the Scottish Parliament in February, the force’s IT director said the multinational had “very clearly let us down”.
The Scottish Police Authority (SPA) published the news late yesterday afternoon, but refused to say how much the failed system had cost.
It chief executive John Foley said his organisation, Police Scotland and Accenture had “mutually agreed to end their contract relating to the i6 project.”
“Despite the best efforts of the SPA, Police Scotland and Accenture, it was clear that the technical solution cannot be delivered within expected timeframes and budget. The decision has therefore been taken to end the contract and reconsider options for securing a sustainable IT solution for policing.”
He continued: “The terms of the agreement are commercially confidential, however we can confirm that the settlement results in no financial detriment to the police budget. While we are disappointed that i6 will not be delivered as expected, the SPA believes the decision to end the contract at this time is the right one.”
Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said: “While the delivery of the i6 solution will now not go ahead, we are committed to delivering a sustainable policing model supported by modern technology and will work with the Scottish Police Authority to ensure this is delivered in the most efficient and effective way.”
John Finnie, justice spokesman for the Greens, said there were big questions that still needed answered. “It is disappointing to, once again, see the phrase ‘the terms of the agreement are commercially confidential’ being trotted out," he said. "There has been a huge investment of police time on this project and we need to understand what has gone wrong and what the costs incurred have been.
“When we next scrutinise this matter I will be expecting a full explanation of what has gone on, what lessons have been learnt and how the gap this large project was intended to address will now be filled.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said it was “clearly disappointing that the difficult decision to terminate the i6 contract has been made”.
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