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Deputy Kirsten Morel
Chair, Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel States Greffe, Scrutiny
Morier House
St Helier
Jersey JE1 1DD
Dear Deputy Morel ,
Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel Government Plan 2021 – 2024 Review
Thank you for your letter of 15 October in respect of the Panel's review of the Government Plan.
In respect of the questions relating to our Software project, under which the old "Phoenix" system was replaced with the "Plainsail" system, the position is as follows.
- The 6-month Government Plan progress report explains that this project has been deferred. What impact has this had/will have on the project?
As set out in the summary of the Project, our previous Phoenix software was replaced by the Plainsail system in 2018. Phoenix is no longer in operation and our system should now be referred to as Plainsail. In line with ISD (now M&D) advice, a relatively small sum was budgeted for an initial upgrade of Plainsail in 2020. We began work to upgrade the system at the end of 2019. The developers have significantly enhanced the product and are keen for us to move on to the latest version (as are we). We have been unable to do so, however, due to lack of available resources in M&D to support the upgrade, the lockdown period (which stretched M&D further) and staff shortages in our own department since the return to work in July. The project has, therefore, been deferred until adequate resource is available to ensure that the upgrade can be performed safely and without affecting our work or records. While this is inconvenient, the system as currently in operation, meets our needs, although the improvements arising from the ugrade will offer enhancements and functionality that will be valuable to our operations.
- We note that the original business case explained that a sum of money had been identified for a small upgrade in 2020 and a major upgrade in 2023. Was the software upgraded, as planned, in 2020?
As described above, the Plainsail system has not been upgraded in 2020 but we are hoping to complete this early in 2021.
- In light of the project's deferral, when is it likely that the major upgrade to software will be undertaken?
We anticipate that the major upgrade will still take place, if required and in line with M&D advice, in 2023, which will be five years after the implementation of Plainsail as a key operating system. The extent of the upgrade will depend on the outcome of a review to be conducted in the latter part of 2021.
- How much of the funding identified for 2020 (£45k) has been spent?
None of the allocated funding of £45,000 has been spent in 2020 so far, as we have been unable to proceed with the upgrade. We propose to carry this sum forward to the early part of 2021 for the planned upgrade.
I hope that these responses answer your questions fully but if you would like any further information or clarification, please do let me know.
Kind regards
Advocate Elaine Millar Viscount