Dept. Homeland Security

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Department of Homeland Security - Emerge2 Project - USA Date : Sep 2006     Cost :  $20M Synopsis : Plans for the Emerge2 system (Electronically Managing Enterprise Resources for Government Efficiency and Effectiveness ) are scuttled after it becomes clear the project has headed off in the wrong direction.  Original plan called for the development of an Enterp...
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Junior Doctors Online Recruitment System

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Medical Training Application System - UK Date : May 2007    Cost :$12M Synopsis : Junior doctors forced to reapply directly to hospitals after a new centralized system for matching doctors and postings disintegrates.  System left many of the UK's most qualified junior doctors without training posts.  Publicity of the problems resulted in journalists identifyin...
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General Register Office

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Registry Office System - UK Date : Mar 2007    Cost :$12M Synopsis : New system to register births, marriages and deaths across the UK purchased from a US company and adapted for use in the UK.  Implementation results in chaos when system cannot handle volume of data being processed.  Registry offices officially told to abandon the system after just 2 months o...
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Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) – USA

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) - USA Project type : New payroll system Date : Jan 2007 Cost :$95 USD Synopsis : New payroll system goes seriously wrong.  Some teachers are paid $10,000 for one month’s work while others receive just 20¢ for the same job.  Some school board employees are forced to take bank loans to cover their daily expenses while...
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Social Insurance Agency – Japan

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Social Insurance Agency – Japan Date : Jun 2007 Cost :Undisclosed Synopsis : Japanese government admits they can no longer identify the true owners of 50,000,000 pension accounts. Social Insurance Agency Director General Kiyoshi Murase himself stands outside government buildings handing out fliers apologizing for the mistakes. Contributing factors as report...
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Service Personnel and Veterans Agency – UK

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) – UK Project name : JPA (Joint Payroll Administration) Date : Oct 2007 Cost :$100 Project (but cost due to failures not disclosed) Synopsis : New system to unify Army, Navy and Air Force payrolls results in a deluge of complaints about missing pay, incorrect pay and bungled allowances. Although system apparently wo...
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New South Wales Government – Australia

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. New South Wales Government - Australia Project name : TCARD Date : Nov 2007  Project Cost : $370M AUD  Writeoff Cost : $95M AUD (estimated) Synopsis : Smart card transit project to allow single ticket across train, ferry and bus transit cancelled after years of delays and cost overruns. Project originally intended for delivery in time for Sydney Olympics (Jul...
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Transit Ticketing Authority – Melbourne Australia

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Transit Ticketing Authority - Melbourne Australia Project name : MYKI Date : May 2008 Cost :up to $350M AUD Synopsis : Smart card system to allow bus, rail and tram travel on a single ticket delayed by as much as 5 years and over budget by between $200M and $350M depending on press reports. Contributing factors as reported in the press : Underestimation o...
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Justice Department – Australia

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Justice Department -Australia Project name : Criminal Justice Enhancements Program (CJEP) Date : Jun 2008 Cost :$54M USD Synopsis : Lack of planning and underestimation cited as a primary contributors to a 9 year delay in the full deployment of the Criminal Justice Enhancement Program (CJEP) for use by the Australian Justice department. Costs balloon by 400%....
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Ministry of Defense – UK

Following entry is a record in the “Catalogue of Catastrophe” - a list of failed and troubled projects from around the world. Ministry of Defense - UK Project : Chinook Helicopter upgrade Date : Jun 2008 Cost : $1,000M USD Synopsis : Problems with cockpit software leave 8 Chinook helicopters intended for “specials ops” grounded after 7 years of effort.  Maintained in special air conditioned hangers, the aircraft have never seen operational use.  Although the helicopters can fly, the...
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