These Days In Clarkland...What's Another Hundred Million?

AllYourTechnologyAndAllYourInformationDoNot
ASparklePonyMakeVille


Remember when the Clarklandians wasted....errrr...spent almost two hundred million dollars on the 'Integrated Case Management (IT) System' for the Ministry of Child And Family Development that has never worked properly while they simultaneously refused to make it possible for frontline MCFD workers to spend an extra $50 bucks a year for kids in our care who really and truly need our help most?

Well.

It would appear that the Clarklandians are at it again, this time pushing a hundred million dollar plus 'Integrated Decision Making' system.

Paul Ramsey, blogger and IT expert (i.e. not someone with the kind of established credibility necessary to make a fuss about all things IT, allegedly) has the story.

At least he has as much of the story as he could get via an heavily redacted FOI release:

... (The braintrust) carefully prepared a business case for Treasury Board, asking for well north of $100M to rewrite every land management system in government. Forests, lands, oil and gas, heritage, the whole kit and caboodle. The business case says:

"IDM will improve the ability of the six ministries and many agencies in the NRS to work together to provide seamless, high‐quality service to proponents and the public, to provide effective resource stewardship across the province, to effectively consult with First Nations in natural resource decisions, and to contribute to cross‐government priorities."

Sounds ambitious! I wonder how they're going to accomplish this feat of re-engineering? Well, I'm going to keep on wondering, because they redacted everything in the business case except the glowing hyperbole...



And, just in case you were wondering, the same fine folks that brought us that 180 million thingy that doesn't work are apparently hard at work raking in a few more of our dollars on this new enterprise:

...However, even though we don't know how, or really why, they (i.e. the 'braintrust) are embarking on this grand adventure, we can rest assured that they are now spending money at a rate of about $10M / year making it happen, much of it on our good friends Deloitte...

(stuff in brackets, above, mine, added for clarification)

****

So.

What's it really all about Alfie?

Well, I went and poked around a bit in the tiny bits that Mr. Ramsey received from his most excellent FOI adventure, and, who'd a thunk it...

"...IDM (Integrated Decision Making) is a major component of the multi‐year transformation of the Natural Resource Sector (NRS) to align legislation, processes, people and technology to allow for the integrated management of BC’s shared natural resources. IDM is a component of the NRS (Natural Resource Sector) Transformation Plan...

{snippety doodle-dandiest}

...The NRS is a key driver of economic activity and employment in the province. In order to meet the objectives of the BC Jobs Plan and other government priorities, such as supporting the development of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export market...


That's right....

Sparkle Ponies!


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You can read more about Mr. Ramsey's most excellent FOI adventure....Here....It's really very imformative regarding how problematic the process is for the non-established and the non-credible (i.e. your average citizen with a little knowledge and expertise in a subject who wants to find out what the heckfire is really going on).


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