ID cards plans to face review

The government's controversial ID card project will face a major review this month.

The plans will be examined as part of the Office of Government Commerce's Gateway process, which checks on government projects at critical stages in their development with the aim of cutting the high level of failure in public sector IT projects.

Responding to a parliamentary question by Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten, Home Office minister Des Browne said: "The identity cards programme is scheduled to have a Gateway 1 review in July 2005. The current dates were agreed with the Home Office in May 2005."

But already the timetable for the project appears to be slipping a little, as Browne reveals the review was originally planned to take place months earlier. "There had been a provisional intention to hold the Gateway 1 review in March 2005," he said.

There are five Gateway reviews during the life of a project; three before contract award and two looking at implementation and benefits.

The Gateway 1 review focuses on the project's business justification, and makes sure that the project has been adequately researched and can be delivered. It also aims to confirm that the business case is robust - affordable and achievable.

The review should make sure that the major risks have been identified and outline risk management plans have been developed, and that the scope and requirements specifications are realistic, clear and unambiguous.

The ID cards project has already been through two Gateway 0 reviews, in June 2003 and January 2004, and an earlier review conducted by the Home Office in March 2003.

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