Another one bites the dust or so it seems – according to BBC News the lead contractor on the UK Trusted Boarder has just been let go.

I guess my reaction is firstly a suprised “wow where did that come from” as even up to the end of last year the programme was moving to schedule according to reports in Hansard and Computing.

However on thinking about this one realises that this illustrates one of the classic symptoms of immature programme governance, i.e. “the eleventh hour show stopper that seems to emerge from nowhere”.

There is a clear need beautifully articulated by the never ending procession of significant issues with Government sponsored “big IT Solutions” for a systemic approach to ensuring lessons are learned and the capability of customer and supplier to incept, manage and deliver these programmes dramatically improved.

We only have to look across the water to the US sponsored CMMI (for acquisition and development) for a piece of the answer.