UK government's Shared Services Strategy is entering the danger zone

Opinion On the eve of its fifth birthday, the UK's Shared Services Strategy for Government got a couple of presents. With around £1.7 billion already committed to tech suppliers and a 2028 deadline looming, the 450,000 civil servants and military personnel set to depend on these systems might wonder what was in store.

Step forward Sopra Steria, with the gift of a legal case challenging the Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP) decision to award its £370 million contract to run Oracle-based HR and finance services across four departments. It already runs part of the service under its SSCL subsidiary.

Even losing incumbents are usually dissuaded from challenging government procurement decisions because they don't want to create bad blood with public sector buyers and they know there will be plenty of work down the line. But what better way to mark the anniversary of the strategy ...