Sections:
Freedom of Information Act 2000, request no. F2006/142
Date of release 12 July 2006
ICT project
1. A brief description of a single current major IT project in DFID, for example one that has executive board level interest. The ARIES (Activities Reporting Information E-System) project will encompass the following generic activities across DFID (in both the UK and overseas):
- financial accounting (including accounts payable and general ledger);
- management of project/activities databases;
- statistical and management reporting (internal and external);
- budgeting and forecasting of expenditure;
- and procurement of goods and services.
Specifically Aries will introduce a new system that will replace most, if not all, of DFID's central systems, and introduce a cost and budget coding structure that will be able to cope with changes in business direction as well as varied requests for information.
2. Start date of project and planned end date of project.
Procurement phase of the project commenced in December 2003. The planned end date for completion of the implementation of the new business solution is Autumn 2008.
3. Definitions of the performance measures used by the business to assess the success of the deployment of the system into the organisation
The ARIES project is tasked with delivering:
- a system that will meet DFID’s current and future internal and external finance, procurement, programme management and performance reporting requirements;
- real-time data;
- users with a single system with a consistent look and feel;
- procurement savings, through facilitating more effective supplier and contract management;
- a faster close on DFID’s annual accounts
- a reduction in the number of finance and procurement processes in corporate and non-corporate areas;
- improved levels of automated systems control that will help ensure compliance with mandatory requirements.
- the replacement of local accounting systems with a single integrated system;
- the replacement of disparate central accounting and statistical systems with a unified a single system
- a reduction in the learning curve of any member of staff moving from one part of the organisation to another as a result of the commonality of systems.
- a reduction in the maintenance and support requirements primarily in the Information Systems Department.
4. The date when reporting against these measures started/is due to start.
An overall assessment of the success project against these deliverables will take place post project implementation. As part of the implementation process, sense checking that the solution being developed will meet its objectives is carried out at appropriate intervals. In addition regular progress reports are provided to the Project Board.
5. To whom the reports are/will be provided.
Reports are provided to the Aries Project Board and the Senior Responsible Owner (Director of Finance) and summaries provided to DFID’s Management Board.