CSA chief resigns as IT problems continue

The head of the Child Support Agency (CSA) has resigned amid continuing problems with the organisation's £456m computer system.

Doug Smith was questioned by the Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee today about the EDS-supplied system that is still causing problems for families due to receive child support payments.

He denied that the new IT was a failure, and claimed that his team had 'done a good job over the last year to mask the worst impact of this IT system from the people who really count in this, who are our clients.'

Computing revealed earlier this month (Computing, 4 November) that one million cases are still being handled on the old CSA system.

The new computer went live in January 2003 - 11 months late and £29m over budget.

But continuing problems with its performance has prevented the CSA from transferring old cases into the new system, which uses a different calculation to work out payments.

The government is withholding nearly £1m per month in fees due to EDS while the problems are resolved.

But the CSA has also made more than 2,000 change requests from its original specification for the system.

Committee chairman Sir Archy Kirkwood said: 'This is not just about computers. It is a systemic, chronic failure of management right across the totality of the agency.'

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