Business Requirements, User Stories etc. regarding JBMS

Gavin Millar made this Official Information request to New Zealand Customs Service

The request was partially successful.

From: Gavin Millar

Dear New Zealand Customs Service,

I wish to request information related to the current development and implementation of the Joint Border Manager computer system which appears to be both significantly over budget and behind schedule.

I am trying to understand what is causing the issues but public statements have not been enlightening. Therefore I request:
1) All documents related to any "Expression of Interest" process undertaken by NZ Customs prior to the selection of a solution. This would include the specifications requested as well as any supplementary questions and answers.
2) Any documents related to the tender or bid process including documents by NZ Customs detailing the process and selection criteria.
3) All documents related to user stories, business requirements and change requests produced by NZ Customs as part of the project.
4) Any documents related to dispute management within the JBMS project including budget, timeline or defect issues between NZ Customs and IBM.

Where documents are withheld I would ask that their titles be provided.

As per the usual requirements for making an OIA request, I am a New Zealand citizen.
Yours faithfully,

Gavin Millar

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From: OIA
New Zealand Customs Service

Dear Mr Millar

Thank you for your email. Your request is being processed under the Official Information Act 1982 and a response will be provided by Customs as soon as reasonably practicable and within 20 working days from the date after which your request was received.

Please feel free to contact Customs if you have any questions or concerns relating to your request.

Kind regards
Procedures and Support
NZ Customs Service

-----Original Message-----
From: Gavin Millar [mailto:[FOI #3442 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 3 December 2015 21:50
To: OIA
Subject: Official Information Act request - Business Requirements, User Stories etc. regarding JBMS

Dear New Zealand Customs Service,

I wish to request information related to the current development and implementation of the Joint Border Manager computer system which appears to be both significantly over budget and behind schedule.

I am trying to understand what is causing the issues but public statements have not been enlightening. Therefore I request:
1) All documents related to any "Expression of Interest" process undertaken by NZ Customs prior to the selection of a solution. This would include the specifications requested as well as any supplementary questions and answers.
2) Any documents related to the tender or bid process including documents by NZ Customs detailing the process and selection criteria.
3) All documents related to user stories, business requirements and change requests produced by NZ Customs as part of the project.
4) Any documents related to dispute management within the JBMS project including budget, timeline or defect issues between NZ Customs and IBM.

Where documents are withheld I would ask that their titles be provided.

As per the usual requirements for making an OIA request, I am a New Zealand citizen.
Yours faithfully,

Gavin Millar

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The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the New Zealand Customs Service.

This email may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If you have received it by mistake, please:
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From: OIA
New Zealand Customs Service

Good afternoon Mr Millar

 

I refer to your email below in which you request information relating to
the Joint Border Management System (JBMS) under the Official Information
Act 1982 (OIA).

 

In relation to your third request, " All documents related to user
stories, business requirements and change requests produced by NZ Customs
as part of the project", please note that the scope of this part of your
request is extremely large.  Thousands of documents fall within the scope
of your third request and Customs would be unable to provide you with the
relevant information without substantial collation and research.  Without
significant refinement Customs would need to consider either extending the
time limit for a response and charging for the provision of the
information, or refusing this part of your request pursuant to section
18(f) of the OIA. 

 

Customs is therefore inviting you to review your third request for
information and to refine the scope of that request to a more manageable
size.

 

Please contact Customs if you have any questions or concerns regarding
this email or your request generally.

 

Kind regards

Procedures and Support team

NZ Customs Service

 

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
New Zealand Customs Service.

This email may contain information that is confidential or legally
privileged. If you have received it by mistake, please:
(a) reply promptly to that effect, and remove this email and the reply
from your system; and
(b) do not act on this email in any other way.

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From: Gavin Millar

Dear OIA,

My main goal in making this request is to understand the level of requirements and good project management practices NZ Customs has been using in their procurement of JBMS. There seems to be something strange happening given the massive overspend involved.

I'm happy to reduce the scope of (3) in my original request to cover only change requests (or similar), this should reduce scope very significantly. That will allow me to make targeted follow up questions if required for details about the specific problematic parts of the project.

Yours sincerely,

Gavin Millar

Link to this

From: OIA
New Zealand Customs Service


Attachment OIA 15 246 Letter of extension.pdf
593K Download View as HTML


Dear Mr Millar

 

Please find the attached letter regarding your Official Information Act
request relating to the Joint Border Management System.

 

Kind regards

Procedures and Support team

NZ Customs Service

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the
addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the
New Zealand Customs Service.

This email may contain information that is confidential or legally
privileged. If you have received it by mistake, please:
(a) reply promptly to that effect, and remove this email and the reply
from your system; and
(b) do not act on this email in any other way.

Link to this

From: OIA
New Zealand Customs Service


Attachment Gavin Millar OIA Response Feb16.pdf
548K Download View as HTML


Dear Mr Millar

Please find attached a response to your request.

Kind regards

Chief Customs Officer
Procedures and Support

The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the New Zealand Customs Service.

This email may contain information that is confidential or legally privileged. If you have received it by mistake, please:
(a) reply promptly to that effect, and remove this email and the reply from your system; and
(b) do not act on this email in any other way.

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Gavin Millar left an annotation ()

The documents from this request are now available on the NZ Customs website here:
http://www.customs.govt.nz/news/oia/Page...

At the current moment this request appears to be the only one answered in this method but for the future where others are the OIA reference is "IPC OIA 15-246".

It will obviously take some time to go through the documents they've provided.

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
New Zealand Customs Service only: