a) Departments should ensure that they analyse and understand fully the implications of the introduction of new IT systems for their business and customers.
■ National Savings based its requirements for new IT systems on a clear business need.
■ National Savings clearly defined roles and responsibilities for SBS, its chosen private sector partner, to develop and implement IT systems to deliver the business benefits identified by National Savings.
b) Departments must consider carefully the scale and complexity of projects to assess whether they are achievable.
■ SBS and EDS based their proposals on National Savings' projected timetable and SBS is taking an incremental, as opposed to "big bang", approach.
c) Delays in implementing projects place them at risk of being overtaken by technological change.
■ SBS is introducing systems in phases and is incentivised to use technological advances in delivering the operational service through profit sharing mechanisms over the life of the contract.
d) The project specification must take into account the business needs of the organisation and the requirements of users.
■ SBS is making use of the staff transferred to it to assist in the development of new systems and to assist in the training of other staff when those systems are implemented.