Victorian Auditor-General…

                                             Victorian Auditor-General's Office
  Media Statement
                                                                              WEDNESDAY, 11 JUNE 2008


Auditor-General's Report:
Implementation of the Criminal Justice
Enhancement Program (CJEP)
A report by the Auditor-General, Des Pearson, on the results of a performance audit report on the
implementation of the Criminal Justice Enhancement Program (CJEP) was tabled in Parliament today.

The audit examined whether the implementation of CJEP was well managed with a focus on whether it
was implemented on time; on budget; and consistent with planned expectations. The audit also examined
the governance, project management, monitoring and reporting frameworks for CJEP.

CJEP's aim was to improve the information systems environment that supports the administration of
criminal justice within Victoria. It was approved in October 1998 with funding of $14.5 million and a target
completion date of November 2000.

Mr Pearson found that CJEP has produced benefits, but it has not been implemented on time or on
budget. Four of the five CJEP projects have been delivered but the electronic brief/disclosure project
(E*Brief) is not operating and may not be fully implemented until 2009.

There were substantial cost overruns on CJEP. The department spent $39.9 million on CJEP's
development and implementation to May 2008, and Victoria Police estimates that a further $4 million will
be required to complete the E*Brief project. The additional expenditure on CJEP partly reflects approved
scope changes to the program between 2000 and the end of 2002. CJEP partner agencies advised that
they incurred around $10.4 million for costs associated with CJEP, over and above what has been spent
by the department. The department has not recorded or monitored expenditure by these agencies.

Delays in completing CJEP and the associated cost increases are mainly due to underestimation of the
complexity, magnitude and level of cross agency involvement required for the project, an inadequately
developed business case, which contributed to poor scoping of the project and a failure to identify realistic
funding requirements, inadequate specification of system requirements, and development and
implementation issues associated with contractor performance.

Mr Pearson found that the extent of benefits arising from CJEP has not been systematically measured,
tracked and reported and this represents a lack of accountability to ministers, stakeholders and the
community, given the importance of CJEP and the extent of public funds invested in its development.

Mr Pearson also found that while high level partner agency commitment to the CJEP program was always
present in a formal sense--through membership of the CJEP Steering Committee and allocation of
internal resources by agencies to support the program--this was not always matched by actions and `on
the ground' commitment and ownership.

Direct link to report: http://www.audit.vic.gov.au


For further information:
Mr Steve Williams, Manager, Reports and Communications
[p] (03) 8601 7050 [m] 0423 134 202 [f] (03) 8601 7099
[e] steve.williams@audit.vic.gov.au Website: www.audit.vic.gov.au


                                      Auditing in the Public Interest