National Audit Office Report - The Defence Information Infrastructure (DII)

The National Audit Office today published its report into the Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) programme, which aims to deliver a single, secure, high quality computer infrastructure across the whole of Defence while maintaining essential operational continuity.>> The report acknowledges that the MOD began with a clear vision of the benefits the DII Programme would bring to Defence. Despite the challenges, this vision and the financial aspects of the programme remain intact. Costs remain within 3% of original estimates, DII has already delivered considerable success including:>> -- enhancement of existing MOD systems;> -- delivery of two early new capabilities to forces in Afghanistan;> -- introduction of "Single Point Of Contact" help desk facilities providing an improved service to MoD users;> -- enabling benefits to be delivered in the Joint Personnel Administration application programme totalling 972 million;> -- delivering terminals in large numbers>> The MoD is pleased and encouraged that the NAO recognises that the programme performs well against the checklist in the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2006 report, Delivering Successful IT-Enabled Business Change.>> Permanent Under Secretary of State, Sir Bill Jeffrey said:>> "The DII is a major programme which is already delivering benefit to our front-line troops and the wider department. I am pleased that the NAO has recognised the essential soundness of the business case, commercial and governance arrangement, and the progress we have made in delivering the system. As the report brings out, we still have some problems to overcome in rolling out the system completely, but we are working hard to overcome these, and will be helped in doing so by the NAO's recommendations.