1yr was wasted trying to convert an online web application the US use for recruitment to work for the UK. I heard it was doomed in numerous ways, especially being cloud based (not a good idea to have all the personal data on new recruits hosted offsite). How it was ever chosen defies belief.

The next year was spent building a bespoke app using a RAD (Rapid Application Development) tool. Failed and abandoned after 12mths. How it was ever chosen defies belief.

The next 18mths was spent building a bespoke app with a different RAD tool (K2) supposedly that would enable catching up on the previous lost 2yrs by cutting lots of corners and doing 3 yrs work in 9mths. It was the wrong tool for the job and was never going to work. Management were told many times, and why, but they would just ignore it and tell us to carry on. They hired every K2 developer available on the market in the UK, but they seemed to be only used to building small apps in one or two person teams, whereas many of us were used to working in large teams building large complex systems. The K2 devs were considered the 'gurus' and everytime we raised the issues management would go and ask the K2 guys, and of course, they would dismiss our issues (often quite arrogantly) to protect their product. After 18mths it became clear, we were proven right and K2 was abandoned.

In all this time, the entire management was completely replaced 3 times. None seemed to have any experience in how to build a software application or website. They would make the most astounding statements that concerned many of us that they had no idea how to build not just a complex system like this, but any software application at all. We were told we werent allowed to talk to the project 'architects', and we later found out they were told not to talk to us (an instant recipe for failure by itself). When we did get to talk to them (unofficially) we soon realised why, they were also clueless. Next they tried bringing in external management, but they were just as clueless and didnt seem to know what to do either.

Of course the application was going to be large and complex, but was quite achievable if people who knew what they were doing were in charge. In my opinion the root problem is the same as in many other companies that develop software systems (and often the root cause of the many data hacks we see on the news): management who have no technical background choose the wrong tools for the job, hire incompetent numpties who dont understand software technology to do the work, and constantly try and cut corners you shouldn't cut to save time and/or money.

Even when a project is behind you should be able to say how much you have actually have completed, 10%, 20%, something (especially with 400+ people on it), but it always seemed nothing was ever considered 'complete'. We often said 3 x 10 person teams who knew what they were doing, with the correct architecture and development tools, could have built a working system in 12-18mths.

Reading the report, I find it repulsive the financial penalties have been reduced to keep Capita 'motivated'. Our armed forces deserve better. With all the cost cutting they endure, they need to recruit quickly and efficiently and fill 100% of positions they have to maintain an effective defence of our country.