The following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
US Navy
Project name : Marine One
Date : Jun 2009 Cost :$13B
Synopsis :
To allow for rapid and safe transport of the President and other VIP's, the US Government maintains a fleet of VIP transport helicopters. The current fleet of Sea King and Blackhawk helicopters was first deployed in the 1970's. Following the 9/11 attacks, the US Government decided tha...
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Failed government project
City of Vancouver – Olympic Village
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
City of Vancouver – Canada
Date : Jan 2009 Cost :$250M cost overrun
Synopsis :
While we don't often touch on construction projects in this database, a construction project is still a form of technology project. The following example nicely illustrates what happens when financial risks are ignored.
Having won the right to host the 2010 Winter Olympics in 20...
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Veterans Affiars – USA
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Veterans Affairs - USA
Project : Replacement Scheduling Application (RSA)
Date : Aug 2009 Cost :$41M
Synopsis :
After seven years of development the Veterans Affairs (VA) Replacement Scheduling Application (RSA) is scrapped. As a component of the larger HealtheVet system, the Replacement Scheduling Application was to allow veterans to request and view medical...
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Department of Transport – UK
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Department for Transport - UK
Project name : Shared Services
Date : May 2008 Cost :$160M
Synopsis :
Program to improve efficiency in the UK's Department of Transport ends up costing more than it saves. By sharing hardware and software services across the department the project was intended to save the organization $114M. A May 2008 study the the U...
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Firearms Registry
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Canadian Federal Government - Canada
Project name : Canadian Firearms program
Date : Jun 2006 Project Cost :$1,000M CAD
Synopsis :
In what may be the worst budget overrun in history, the costs to implement a registry of firearms balloons from $2M to $860M. Original plan called for the program to cost $119M of which all but $2M would be covered by license ap...
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State of Wisconsin
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
State of Wisconsin
Project name : EnABLES (Enhanced Automated Benefits Legal Enterprise Services)
Project type : Unemployment claims tracking
Date : Feb 2007 Cost :$23M USD
Synopsis :
Replacement for a 1970's system used for tracking unemployment claims cancelled after only 1 of 7 phases is successfully completed. Project plan called for an existing package...
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University of Wisconsin
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
University of Wisconsin
Project type : Payroll and benefits system
Date : May 2006 Cost :$28M USD
Synopsis :
Payroll and benefits system project is abandoned after 5 years of effort. Board of governors (regents) had not received a single report on the project in its 5 years and was unaware that the University was facing a large scale project failure.
Cont...
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FBI Virtual Case File
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) - USA
Project : Virtual Case File - Project Trilogy
Date : Apr 2005 Cost : $170M USD
Synopsis :
Ambitious program to replace paper based reporting of crimes and investigations with an online system is scrapped. System was intended to aid efficiencies and allow pieces of information gathered through different channels at...
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National Health Service – UK
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
National Health Service - UK
Project name : NHS Care Records Service
Date : Oct 2008 - UPDATED Sep 2010 Cost :$24B project (World's largest civil IT project)
Synopsis :
Rollout of the Care Records Service component of the UK's National Program for IT grinds to a halt after pilot sites report significant problems. Already 4 years behind schedule, the initial ...
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Rural Payments Agency
Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world.
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) - UK
Project name: Single Payment Scheme
Date : Jan-Dec 2006 Cost :$610M USD
Synopsis :
Following an European Union agreement to standardize subsidy payments to farmers, DEFRA develops systems to enable payments to UK farms. Lack of management and poor decision making cause DEFRA to miss implementati...
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