The Ministry of Social Development has entered into a contract to implement Planview's Enterprise Portfolio Management (EPM) system. The system is to be provided as software as a service. MSD CIO David Habershon says the value of the contract will depend on the eventual number of MSD users subscribed. It is expected to range from $100,000 to $170,000 a year. "Adoption of an EPM tool is only one part of a suite of measures we have been implementing to improve economy, efficiency and effectiveness," he says. "We are responsible for taxpayers’ money. As such, we are committed to streamlining our systems by removing duplication and rework to use our resources better.
"A lot of work has already gone on in this area, such as redesigning our governance and adapting our structure to be more responsive and nimble in the face of new challenges. EPM is another valuable stepping stone in this process. “Increasingly, operational silos between agencies are dissolving, enabling a whole-of-government approach to meeting the needs of New Zealanders. Tools such as EPM will assist in those agencies working cooperatively, sharing resources and planning collaboratively," Habershon says. He says MSD is the lead agency of a 14-agency procurement process, resulting in the appointment of Planview. "However there is, no obligation for any other agency to also contract with Planview. Nevertheless, the contract does contain provisions for other government agencies to join the procurement during the term of the contract." Planview is based in Austin, Texas. It has an office in Australia and plans to set one up in New Zealand, says Jeff Durbin, the company’s executive vice president of global operations. It is represented in New Zealand by Activate NZ.