The States of Guernsey is terminating its contract with Agilisys, for ‘performance related reasons’.
The contract with the IT infrastructure will end at midnight on 31 July 2025 at the latest, we’re told.
The States signed a £200million 10-year contract with Agilisys in 2019.
The deal was meant to see Agilisys up as the government’s IT partner, with plans to overhaul States’ systems.
But the partnership has been beset with problems including the mass IT outage affecting all States departments in November 2022.
The new Chief Executive & Head of the Public Service, Boley Smillie said: “The contract with Agilisys has certainly not been without challenges, as clearly identified by the Policy & Resources Committee in recent years and reflected in the Scrutiny Management Committee’s review of the contract earlier this year.
“We deliver the services of a national government on a local scale, which makes the
delivery of public services in Guernsey complex. From the systems we rely on every
day, to the tools our staff need to work efficiently to safeguarding the vast range of
data we hold, our IT underpins almost everything we do. We must keep pace with
digital solutions that the community not only expects but deserves, solutions that
make our services more efficient, and responsive to the needs of the Bailiwick.”
The people involved in the signing of the contract are either no longer working for the States or Agilisys or are in different roles now.
The Committee for Policy and Resources has responsibility for matters such as States IT. Its five members – none of whom were involved when the contract was signed – said it was a “unanimous decision” to end it now.
“Our Committee was unanimous in our decision to terminate the contract, following
the advice we’d received from senior officials who manage the contract and delivery
of services. Our Committee has in recent years overseen a significant amount of
work to improve oversight of the contract and apply appropriate challenge on its
delivery. However, the decision has been taken that it is in the best interests of the
States, and the wider community which relies on the many IT systems we have for
the effective delivery of public services, to terminate the contract and move to a
new model.”
The States is moving to a multi-vendor model now it’s cutting ties with Agilisys, meaning services and projects will be delivered by a range of providers rather than one.
A spokesperson said staff have had “advanced discussions” with a range of providers already, with the “many benefits” to include:
- The ability to select the best vendors/suppliers for specific services or
technologies. - Working with a range of providers will increase supplier accountability to
deliver. - Easier access to specialised expertise.
- Enhancing the States’ resilience and reducing the risk of service disruptions as
less reliance on a single supplier. - Selecting the right supplier for the right service/project supports aims to
improve IT services and provide a better experience for users.
Gé Drossaert, Chief Digital and Information Officer, said the new method will work better.
“We are moving to a new model for the delivery of the IT services and support we need. This “multi-vendor” model will give us the ability to select the best suppliers for specific services or technologies, which will include a mix of international and local opportunities focused on getting the best value for money for taxpayers. I also firmly believe that this new model will increase supplier accountability to deliver, unlike the current model where we have been reliant on one provider only, as we will have relationships with a range of providers.
“The quality of our IT provision has a direct correlation to the quality of services we can offer service users, and we are focused on making big strides in the next few years so the community notices improvements in both the amount of government services they can access digitally, and the efficiency of doing so. We’re currently in discussions with a range of providers for various services and projects. While it is not possible to provide specifics at this stage due to the commercial nature of those discussions, we are confident of securing agreements with a mix of providers for the delivery of general IT services and projects in time to ensure a smooth transition. I’m confident that both our IT provision, and the value for money taxpayers receive, will improve under this new delivery model.”