Prism, the name given to the FCO’s huge IT venture, was meant to replace 30 existing systems, as well as process key financial and management data, enabling FCO staff to take well founded decisions with the information at their fingertips.
In reality the report notes that the project is well behind schedule and has met with disdain across the board, with one FCO staff member going as far to say, in the FCO’s long history of ineptly implemented IT initiatives, Prism is the most badly-designed, ill-considered one of the lot.
The faults in the system have already warranted an inspection by one senior diplomat whose report blamed hasty and bad decisions for its problems. The report concludes that the implementation of the system will require closer scrutiny if it is to be completed successfully, and suggests that more regular updates need to be made on its progress.
