Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

Absolutely. In a way, it is easier if there is a single document that sets out what the plan is, what the objectives are, what outcome is expected as a result of a project and the associated costs. If all of that is set out at the beginning, it makes my job much easier. It also makes much easier the job of those who are trying to deliver the project such that they will know when they are or are not making progress. It is a fundamental requirement for any public sector project that there be clarity on what one is trying to achieve. When we examined the development and roll-out of the public services card project, we found pieces of what was being attempted laid out in various documents.

There were probably contradictions in some of them so we are looking for what the latest position is and how it is evolving. It makes it much more difficult to manage a project in a value-for-money way.