Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 106: To ask the Minister for Finance if the promised peer review system for large ICT projects is in place; the way in which it will operate; the threshold of figure above which the peer review system will operate; if the centre for management organisation development within his Department will play a role in the peer review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38991/05]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The centre for management organisation and development in my Department operates a delegated sanctioning regime for ICT expenditure where Departments and offices are required to submit a broad value for money justification for each of their major ICT project proposals. This justification has to receive my Department's approval prior to any project commencement. The delegation arrangements also require Departments and offices to report on an annual basis their progress with projects in the previous year.

This delegated sanctioning arrangement is being supplemented by a peer review process for all significant ICT projects. This review process will provide an independent peer review of programmes or projects at key decision points by a team of experienced people external to the organisation. It will particularly focus on the preparation of good business cases, affordability, detailed planning, on strong governance arrangements and on ensuring that the scope of a proposed project is appropriate to the current ICT capacity of the sponsoring organisation. It will also take full account of recent Government decisions in this area. It is important to note that peer reviews will not override in any way the accountability arrangements in place within organisations.

The centre for management and organisation development, CMOD, in my Department has agreed the details for the peer review process and a list of projects for peer review with the ICT directors of those Departments and offices which have significant ICT projects either underway or in planning. The projects that have been selected are those where the development and roll out costs exceed €5 million or where the project is likely to stretch the resources of the sponsoring Department or office. Three of these projects have been chosen to pilot the agreed process and these pilots have begun.

Peer review teams will be selected by the sponsoring Department or office of each project subjected to the process. These selections are subject to agreement with CMOD. It is envisaged that such review teams will include people with relevant experience from both the public and private sector. CMOD will monitor the peer review process and its findings carefully. Particular attention will be paid to the adequacy of the peer review arrangements agreed with ICT managers and to developing further supports both to organisations sponsoring projects and to project reviewers.