At the heart of this failure are the old demons of IT disaster: poor engagement with end-users, inadequate training and lack of attention to business process change. The result is that staff, who broadly welcome the introduction of new technology in the workplace, distrust the systems they have to use.

Tony Blair launched the Jobcentre Plus scheme in the run-up to the 2001 general election. He said the aim was, "To bring together in a single modern organisation the services currently provided to those of working age by the Employment Service and the Benefits Agency."

Since then, staff have walked out on strike over the removal of security screens, sex toy retailer Ann Summers had its job adverts banned, and an employee won a sex discrimination case over being made to wear a tie.

But until the Department for Work and Pensions published an independent report into alternative service delivery channels at Jobcentre Plus, problems with the IT systems were largely hidden.

Jobcentre Plus staff believe the IT systems, in particular the Customer Management System (CMS), lead to inefficiencies in staffing, resources and the claims process.

CMS was built by IBM and is operated by EDS. It is a client server system deployed on the DWP's Windows 2000/XP common office infrastructure. Jobcentre Plus is in the middle of upgrading CMS to CMS2, although this has also hit problems.

This view was summed up by a Jobcentre Plus business manager quoted in the report: "I think people have lost a lot of faith in the IT systems we have got because they have not delivered in the past... it would be wonderful if we could go in in the morning and just log on to one systemÉ and not half a dozen."

"Staff, in particular those that interact and liaise regularly with contact centres, feel that the introduction of CMS and its utility in current form has led to greater inefficiencies in staffing, resources and the claims process," said the report.

It highlighted poor training and a failure to listen to staff concerns, as well as systems so inflexible that staff knowingly entered false information in a bid to progress casework.

Among Jobcentre Plus staff there were complaints of poorly designed on-screen forms used in CMS, lack of customer service skills and insufficient knowledge among staff in contact centres, and a poor level of staff training.

The report found that some managers thought the introduction of contact centres was a positive move that could cut queues in Jobcentres. But overall the perception was negative.

According to the report, one member of staff said, "We should be encouraged by the introduction of new technology and systems... yet the more it goes on the more discouraged we become."

"There is a consensus of opinion that the transformation to alternative channels has been rushed through too quickly - with business processes not being followed correctly and adequately - thus creating inefficiency rather than efficiency."

These shortcomings are reflected in what employees would like to see happen in order to rectify problems with IT and alternative channels. They would like greater involvement and consultation of frontline staff in decisions concerning the implement- ation of technology and systems to deliver services through alternative channels.

The DWP said it would use the report's findings to meet the needs of staff and customers to ensure best value for taxpayers. "We are working with staff to address any concerns raised in the report," it said.

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