[Peetwo]

The EAP CASA's GWEP (Great White Elephant Project)

Two days ago I received correspondence from CASA's Branch Manager of the Communications Branch, in regards to my 26 July FOI disclosure log enquiry, which said:

Enquiry

I note that the CASA FOI Disclosure log has recently been updated (from 6 March entry onwards) and reformatted.

Unfortunately the new format does not include links for the FOI publicly released documents and has omitted the previously released (prior to 26 February entry) PDF weblinks . In case this is an administrative oversight issue, would it be possible for all the new entries to have their released documents PDF web linked (hyperlinked)?

If this is for some reason not possible, could you at least release the documents for the 6 March 2024 entry: " Reports relevant to CASA's restricting of technical staff since 2010; 2021 CASA APS Employee Census Results; 2023 CASA APS Employee Census Results; Psycho-social safety climate survey conducted by University of South Australia in 2019 for CASA; The Internal Audit Report EAP - Enterprise Aviation Processing; and the most recent interim ICAO report on CASA. Exemption(s) applied: Full release..", Thank you in advance P2

This was the Branch Manager Amanda Palmer, of the Comms Branch reply (with attachment):

OFFICIAL 

Hi P2 

Please find attached disclosure records in relation to the 6 March 2024 FOI release.

Regards,

Amanda

Amanda Palmer (she/her)

Branch Manager

Communications Branch

CASA\Stakeholder Engagement Division

Attachment reference: https://auntypru.com/wp-content/uploads/...h-2024.pdf

FWD to page 30 of this document, under the title: 

Enterprise Aviation Processing
(EAP) System

Internal Audit Report
Date: 11 November 2022

FFWD to page 38, where it says:

3.1 What is the Enterprise Aviation Processing System?

The EAP system is a software system created for aviation regulators to manage their regulatory safety and security oversight responsibilities in accordance with the Standards and Recommended Practises issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in accordance with the Chicago Convention. EAP is a modular, configurable and scalable system that can provide a wide range of functionality, including the management of aviation related licencing, aircraft certification and registration, accident and incident management, and other functions. At the time of this audit, over 30 countries around the world use EAP to manage their aviation regulation requirements, including New Zealand, Thailand, Austria, Switzerland, France and Australia. At the time of this audit, EAP comprised over 40 separate, fully integrated modules covering aviation regulators’ remits, which can be deployed in total, or in part, to meet an individual regulator’s needs. EAP is designed to manage tasks associated with accepting applications, making assessments, issuing approvals, together with subsequent continuing oversight (surveillance).

 
Hmm...(the parts in bold) how's that working out? Well according to this internal audit absolutely abysmally...  

4.1.2 Findings

4.1.2.1 Overall, CASA’s implementation of the EAP Project has not met timescales, costs, quality and scope targets as specified in the original 2011 project plan, and does not appear to be meeting performance targets for the EAP Five Year Strategy

As discussed in Sections 3.3 and 3.4, when CASA purchased EAP initially, it made a number of incorrect assumptions, including that EAP could be used to drive change from a distributed regulatory operating model to a centralised “national” operating model. These incorrect assumptions resulted in EAP implementation being significantly behind schedule, over budget, and not delivering the functionality specified in the 2011 EAP Implementation Project.

Specifically, between EAP’s purchase in 2011 and the forecast end of the EAP Five Year Strategy:

• timescales for EAP implementation have not been achieved. The 2011 EAP Implementation Project identified an implementation timeframe of two years (mid-2011 to mid-2013) to implement 19 EAP modules. Based on the EAP Five Year Strategy, the new implementation timeframe is mid-202535
• EAP costs are significantly higher than intended originally. The original budget was $9.1 million to implement 19 modules.36 As at 30 September 2022, based on CASA’s financial records, CASA had expended $39.5 million on implementing EAP. However, actual EAP implementation costs are likely significantly higher than this figure37
• the quality and functionality of the EAP system has not been delivered as intended originally. Significant required EAP functionality has not been delivered to date, with some elements not being delivered at all. Functionality elements not delivered to date include: surveillance; organisational approvals; medical; and workflow distribution.38 At the time of the audit, Internal Audit was advised a decision on whether to use the EAP Medical Module had not been made, despite CASA having purchased this module in 2011
• CASA’s EAP scope is not up-to-date. CASA has not maintained an up-to-date record of the extent to which it intends implementing the EAP modules (or parts of modules) it has purchased, and what functionality these modules will provide.39 Also, CASA does not have an up-to-date record of which EAP modules it has implemented to date. 40

Although CASA recognised the need to develop a national regulatory operating model41 it continues to manage EAP implementation as a series of annual projects rather than an ongoing change program. This is despite a significant amount of work remaining to consolidate distributed regulatory systems and processes into a national operating model. 42 As a result, CASA’s approach to assessing the effectiveness of EAP implementation:

• has not provided CASA’s Executive and Board with a meaningful analysis of EAP implementation performance (time, cost and quality) against the original 2011 EAP Implementation Project Plan
• does not provide CASA’s Executive and Board with meaningful analysis of CASA’s ongoing performance (time, cost and quality) against the EAP Five Year Strategy.

While formal analysis of CASA’s performance against the EAP Five Year Strategy has not been completed to date, based on interviews and document reviews, it is highly likely that EAP implementation is behind schedule, and will not be completed by 2025 (as specified in the EAP Five Year Strategy).

4.1.2.2 Although EAP benefits have been identified since 2018, these benefits are inconsistent between documents and are not mapped to outputs and outcomes as specified by better practice

Under better practice, benefits management refers to the management actions and reviews that are put in place to ensure that the project’s outputs and outcomes are achieved and that the project’s expected benefits are realised. Previous reviews of the management of EAP Projects (see Section 3.6, Table 3.1) identified that EAP benefits management required significant improvement.

To be managed effectively, project benefits must be mapped to project outputs and outcomes, as well as to the entity’s strategic objectives. Undertaking benefits mapping is essential to provide meaning and context to benefits statements, as mapping links each project’s deliverables against the overall benefits of EAP implementation. This is shown in Figure 4.1 below.

 
Over a decade past the original planned implementation timeline with a cost blowout of over 600% and what have we got to show for it? - zero, zip, zilch, nada!

MTF...P2