Souh Wales Evening Post - 26 April 2007
Union leaders have met with council bosses in the wake of a damning report into how an £83 million IT contract was awarded.
Swansea Council's deal with IT firm Capgemini has been criticised by a team of external auditors who found a number of mistakes in the way it was handled. The report said not enough had been done to check if promised savings were achievable, and other, less expensive options were not considered.
Now Unison representatives have met with senior councillors to discuss the report findings.Council leaders have said they were kept in the dark about possible concerns, but Unison branch secretary Jeff Baker said there were plenty of warning signs.
He said: "For three years we have been questioning the savings and have never been given any answers. We were told we were dogmatic or politically driven, but we have tried to work objectively with both councillors and officers."
The union represented Swansea Council's IT staff in a long-running dispute over the proposals, and Mr Baker said that was not just about jobs.
He said: "We wrote to every councillor to tell them we could not see how the savings would be made. We also asked for proper scrutiny of the project.
"We raised the issues with councillors so to say they were not aware of any concerns is wrong. They could have asked the questions themselves.
"We are not just questioning the role of the ruling group, but also opposition parties. They should have been asking questions too."
Swansea Councillors voted last week to hold an internal inquiry to see if any senior officers should face disciplinary action over the scheme. The inquiry will also look at former employees including deputy chief executive Bob Carter, who was closely involved with assessing the deal, and former chief executive Tim Thorogood.
At least two senior directors wrote to Mr Thorogood claiming they were concerned about the programme before the contracts were signed but senior councillors say they never saw the letters or knew the detail of them.
Mr Baker said: "This investigation is not before time. It should have happened long before now."
Council leader Chris Holley said he and cabinet colleagues had asked the right questions but were assured that the scheme would be a success.
He said: "Questions were asked about suitability, about costs, about the benefits - everything we could have possibly asked."
The internal inquiry has been welcomed by opposition leaders, who say council leaders need to be held accountable as well as council staff.
Conservative leader Rene Kinzett, who also heads up a committee that is looking at the council's entire IT programme, said: "Officers must be held accountable in terms of the advice they provided to members. However it would be unfair if cabinet members were let off scot free.
"The buck must stop with the elected members of this council."
