Education Management System project

Audit snapshot

What we reviewed and why

Since 2018-19 the Department for Education has been rolling out a new Education Management System (EMS). The aim is to capture all student information in a single record, standardise business processes and replace legacy systems. 

We have been following the EMS project since it started, and have raised concerns in the past about completing it on time. This year we again reviewed the EMS project to determine whether it is on time, on budget and being rolled out to sites (schools and preschools) with the required functionality. 

What we found

The EMS project is expected to be completed three years later than originally planned and the project budget has increased by $47 million. At the time of reporting, the Department for Education was preparing a request for further internal funding.  While most of the core system functionality is being delivered to sites, extra time has been needed to customise EMS to meet requirements that were not originally specified. The Department for Education did not specify the mandatory modules that sites must implement, and this also had a major impact on the project not meeting planned time frames.

Project delays and budget overruns have occurred due to a range of issues.  This includes COVID-19, although its budget impact has not been quantified.  Weaknesses in project governance have been a contributing factor.  Project governance controls should be agreed with key stakeholders, properly documented and maintained as the project progresses. Project forecasts should also be continually reviewed and revised as needed. Specifying the mandatory EMS modules that remaining sites must implement will also help to minimise any further budget overruns. 

Key facts