Norwich City Council scraps delayed IT upgrade after years of setbacks
Norwich City Council has abandoned a major IT upgrade project after repeated delays, securing compensation from contractor Civica.
Norwich City Council has decided to abandon its long-delayed IT upgrade, reaching a compensation settlement with contractor Civica.
Project failure and compensation
The council spent years attempting to implement a cloud-based workflow tool covering benefits, council tax, revenues, business rates and housing. The existing desktop system, Civica W2/Digital360, was set to be replaced by the W3 upgrade, originally scheduled for completion in 2023.
Progress reports obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed persistent stability issues and data migration problems. Following extensive evaluations and dialogue, both parties agreed not to proceed with the W3 implementation. The settlement amount remains confidential.
Political reaction
Green Councillor Alex Catt criticised the lack of transparency around the compensation deal, calling it part of a broader “culture of secrecy” within the council. He highlighted previous issues, including the collapse of the council-owned developer Lion Homes and overspending on agency staff.
In a joint statement, Norwich City Council and Civica confirmed their ongoing partnership, stating that the council will continue using the fully supported W2 system and Civica will provide other services.
Despite years of work on the W3 upgrade, technical setbacks and data migration issues led both parties to mutually agree to cancel the project and settle on compensation.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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