Report - Guardian

The LSE Identity Project Report: June 2005 20115The IT Environment in the UKThe United Kingdom is often a world leader in government IT projects. We have a richexperience in outsourcing projects, development projects, and the implementation ofnew systems. These projects and systems have not always achieved their stated goals.Before embarking on a system as large as the one proposed in the Government’s policy,it is important to understand the risks and challenges that we are likely to face. Then wecan better understand the technological feasibility of the programme, and the likely costramifications.Government Statements on CostsSince the inception of the National Identity scheme, the Government has published verylittle information about anticipated costs. This has cast doubt over the few coststatements released by the Home Office, since there is no common framework tocompare their different estimates with each other, or with independent estimates.The confusion has been catalysed by an apparent blurring of the boundaries betweenidentity cards and passports: the legal mandate, administrative process and commonfunctionality have led to public uncertainty about which parts of the Government’sstated costs relate to the National Identity scheme, and which to the Passport Service.The results of Government studies into the technologies and processes that will supportthe National Identity scheme have not resolved these problems, and the Government’srefusal to share information about the Gateway Reviews, feasibility studies and projectmanagement process leads us to conclude that the scheme may be vulnerable tofunctional errors or cost-overruns.Current Government CostingIn November 2003, then Home Secretary David Blunkett announced cost estimates onthe identity card.“To avoid accusations of underestimating the cost, we have chosen tobuild in a substantial contingency. We estimate that the basic cost,over a ten-year period, would be £35. All but a very small amount ofthat would be necessary in introducing biometrics in any case. Theaddition would be in the region of around £4, spread over the ten-yearperiod. We will ensure that the basic cost of a card could be paid for