Here is the latest instalment.
Qld Health staffer accused of helping IBM
Date March 21, 2013
Petrina Berry
A Queensland Health employee involved in selecting IBM to provide a new payroll system has been accused of helping the IT giant to win the government contract.
Queensland's payroll inquiry is examining emails and meetings between Damon Atzeni, a member of the state's panel involved in the process, and an IBM contractor in the lead-up to the tender process in 2007.
The inquiry's first two weeks have focused on whether IBM had an unfair advantage in winning the contract.
In astounding developments on Thursday, counsel assisting the inquiry, Peter Flanagan SC, accused Mr Atzeni of favouring IBM in replacing the obsolete system.
''You were doing everything in your power to assist IBM to become the prime contractor because you knew that the first rollout of a human resource solution was to be Queensland Health. Yes?," Mr Flanagan asked.
Mr Atzeni denied he had been assisting IBM. However, he said he wanted Queensland Health to be made a priority over other departments because its computer systems needed to be urgently replaced.
Lots more here:
Days prior are linked here:
Read more:
- Former IBM top man showed no bias - Day 6
- Payroll consultant had a 'preconceived view' - Day 5
- Independent consultant a 'long-time IBMer' - Day 4
- Contract signed before payroll system proven to work - Day 3
- IBM not the first choice: payroll inquiry - Day 2
- Queensland Health's payroll inquiry begins - Day 1
I really hope, at some point, we move away from finger pointing and try to form a view of what actually happened so future disasters like this can be avoided.
In circumstances like this there is seldom just one person or one cause for the mess that ultimately emerges. We all need to learn from this while avoiding scapegoats unless clear malfeasance is established. Even then it is unlikely to be the whole cause of the problem. With so many people around the project there must have been many opportunities to sort things out with reasonably competent management.
David.
You can't set a direction to your own personal desire, or wield the power necessary to do so unless one or more others places you in an optimum position to do so.
ReplyDeleteThis will not be about a single person. There are likely obscured, protected others who placed that person in the right spot at the right time, with their blessing and protecction.
In the old days consultants with conflicts of interest would remove themselves from the selection process with some level of integrity.
ReplyDeleteToday there are so many consultants inside Queensland Health and other places that actively market the "services or products" they work on inside the organisation with little or no integrity.
This is a serious issue and needs to be addressed by all state and federal governments.
Do you know who the consultants are in your state organisation lining their nest with services for their organisations? Have a close look, you will be surprised!!