Transparency data
HMRC Government Major Project Portfolio data, September 2015
Updated 7 July 2016
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| Project Name | CUSTOMS DECLARATION SERVICES (CDS) Programme | Columbus (formerly Aspire Replacement Programme) | Tax-Free Childcare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department | HMRC | HMRC | HMRC |
| IPA RAG rating (A Delivery Confidence Assessment of the project at a fixed point in time, using a five-point scale, Red – Amber/Red – Amber – Amber/Green – Green; definitions in the IPA Annual Report) | Amber/Red | Amber/Red | Amber |
| Description / Aims | HMRC is responsible for delivering an end to end declaration processing service for imports to and exports from the UK. The current service delivery system is the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight service (CHIEF). Each year this business critical service handles c.50 million declarations and accounts for £34bn revenue, set in a context of an international trade supply chain that is worth £700bn p.a. to the UK economy. This is a business critical declaration processing system handling movements of 3rd country (non-EU) goods. CHIEF operates real time, 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year.The current CHIEF system is more than 23 years old and based on aging Virtual Machine Environment (VME) technology. The service has reached a point where any changes (including EU legislative) will be both expensive and technically very difficult to implement. HMRC are seeking to replace CHIEF with a robust, scaleable and extensible set of import /export services, capable of delivering this critical function into the future. | To manage the safe exit of HMRC's ASPIRE IT contract that expires in June 2017. The Programme Aims and Objectives are: The Programme aim for the scope reflected in the Business Case is to: • achieve a safe transition from the ASPIRE contract to the new HMRC IT operating and sourcing model, enabling HMRC’s digital and data transformation and deliver the benefits of the new model thereafter. The Programme objectives for the scope reflected in the Business Case are to: • Ensure there is continuity of IT supply to the Department and its customers once the current contractual arrangements through the ASPIRE contracts expire in June 2017; • Ensure that new sourcing arrangements provide better value for money, drive out savings compared to current baseline and are market aligned and consistent with Government standards for ICT contracts and IT delivery;• Ensure the operating model for IT in HMRC is transformed to enable HMRC’s digital and data transformation and to ensure that changes can be made more flexibly and at greater speed through a new target operating model, sourcing model and re-engineered processes; • Ensure HMRC has the capacity and capability to operate its new IT operating model on a sustainable basis; • Ensure the transition from ASPIRE contracts to the new operating model is as smooth as possible with minimal disruption to service (same or better SLAs) and project delivery (time, cost, quality as agreed for each project) during the transition period. | Under TFC the intention is to provide childcare accounts for all eligible children for which the first £8,000 deposited by parents or others is topped up by government by 20p for every 80p deposited, up to a maximum of £2,000 per child per year. The TFC programme will design and implement the TFC scheme. Accountability for TFC is divided between HMRC and HM Treasury (HMT). HMRC are responsible for TFC delivery and for outcomes on customer service such as correct payments and data security. HMT have responsibility for ensuring the scheme delivers its intended policy outcomes and for advising ministers on any further policy changes needed to ensure the outcomes continue to be achieved. |
| Departmental commentary on actions planned or taken on the IPA RAG rating. | Customs Declaration Services programme (CDS) is on course for successful delivery subject to continued management of key risks around: keeping to agreed CDS timelines - including successfully procuring and integrating two commercial-off-the-shelf software packages in 2016; and continuing to secure the full range of resources and expertise required from within HMRC, wider government and UK Trade. Progress has been made on developing the programme level End-to-End Delivery Plan, including the integration of components through 2016 and in driving the development of a comprehensive CDS Resource Plan to support delivery. Although CDS scored an MPA RAG Rating (and delivery confidence assessment) of 'Amber/Red' at 30 June 2015, this has subsequently improved and was recognised by an MPA Gateway 0 assurance review in July 2015 which provided CDS with a delivery confidence assessment of 'Amber'. | Since the Amber-Red assessment the Programme has made significant progress, successfully delivering the first phase of the Programme, as approved by Ministers in the summer of 2015, transitioning three key Aspire services and their associated delivery teams into HMRC. The Programme is now assessed by the SRO and Programme Board as Amber. Ministers have approved the Programme's Outline Business Case for its next phase of delivery. This latter Business Case approval now enables the Programme to proceed with its plans to exit the entire Aspire contract safely in a phased way. ?The Programme has now reached contractual agreement with the major Aspire suppliers to exit the Aspire contract in a phased way that will protect service continuity to HMRC's customers and protect the flows of revenue into the Exchequer. The Programme is proceeding cautiously keeping close management attention on the phased exit plan to ensure that significant risks do not materialise. | On target to deliver TFC in line with revised go-live in early 2017. |
| Project - Start Date (Latest approved start date) | 16/10/2013 | 01/01/2014 | 10/09/2013 |
| Project - End Date (Latest approved end date) | 31/12/2018 | 31/12/2021 | 30/06/2018 |
| Departmental narrative on schedule, including any deviation from planned schedule (if necessary) | Data not Provided | Data not Provided | Data not Provided |
| 2015/16 Budget (£million) | £21.94 | £88.00 | £41.87 |
| 2015/16 Forecast (£million) | £18.98 | £88.00 | £37.51 |
| Variance Budget / Forecast %age | -13.51% | Budget variance less than 5%. | -10.42% |
| Total budgeted whole life costs (£million) (including Non-government costs) | £71.16 | £600.00 | £241.83 |
| Departmental Narrative on Budget / Forecast variance for 2015/16 where more than +/- 5% | The Budget figures in the Q2 Report are from SOC v1.7 (Feb 2015), being the latest approved business case at the snapshot point. However, by the time the Q2 report was created an OBC had been produced reflecting the change from IT development entirely in-house to a mixed approach including IT procurement with licence costs falling in both 2015/16 & 2016/17. The reported 15/16 forecast figures align to the updated view reflected in the OBC. | Budget variance less than 5%. | The 2015/16 Budget of £41.87m is taken from the Tax-Free ChildCare (TFC) Outline Business Case(OBC) version 2.1 approved by HMT & Cabinet Office in December 2014. Forecast spend is below budget due to a legal challenge from voucher providersin the existing Employer Supported Childcare (ESC) scheme, to the decision to appoint National Saving and Investment as the Childcare Account provider. Following the Supreme Court judgement re-planning and costing work is currently underway to reflect the revised go-live date. |
| Departmental Narrative on Budgeted Whole Life Costs | Data not Provided | Data not Provided | Data not Provided |