Due Diligence and Suppliers of Student Lifecycle Project

James Watson made this Freedom of Information request to University of Glasgow

The request was partially successful.

From: James Watson

30 October 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

1. I have noticed that you took an unusual step by paying
£286,794.96 to the supplier, Atos, for the Student Lifecycle
Project to assist the University in due diligence. I would expect
that for due diligence the buyer would employ a lawyer and not
expect the work to be carried out by the supplier.

Could you please tell me, did the University use any legal firm for
the due diligence?

If so, how much was your legal bill?

2. Could you please give me a list of all the suppliers that are
involved with the Student Lifecycle Project and the purpose of
their involvement? So far I have noticed the involvement of NCC,
Atos and Oracle.

3. Please send me the relevant minutes of the meetings of the
Information Strategy Committee that approved the cost of recruiting
two external consultants (£24803.13 and £5857.56). This was
mentioned in your reply to my previous request dated 30th September
2009. See:

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/ba...

Yours faithfully,

James Watson

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From: FOI Office
University of Glasgow

2 November 2009

Attachment ACKNOWLEDGEMENT F0076422.pdf
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Dear Mr Watson,

Further to your Freedom of Information request dated 30 October 2009
timed 15:00 hours. Please find letter of acknowledgement attached.

You will find that the University's acknowledgement of your information
request is in PDF (Portable Document Format) file(s) attached to this
email.

The PDF file format is used for electronic distribution because it
preserves the look and feel of the original document complete with
fonts, colours, images, and layout. To open a PDF file you can download
a free program called Acrobat Reader and install it onto your computer
by clicking on to the following URL:

http://www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/...

Yours sincerely,

Data Protection and Freedom of Information Office

Direct Line: +44 (0)141 330 2523
Fax: 0141 330 4920

Gilbert Scott Building
University of Glasgow
University Avenue
Glasgow G12 8QQ
G12 8QQ

The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

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From: FOI Office
University of Glasgow

27 November 2009

Attachment RESPONSE F0076422.pdf
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Attachment Appendix 1.pdf
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Dear Mr Watson,

Please find attached the University's response to your Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002 request dated 30 October 2009, timed
15:00 hours.

You will find that the University's response to your information
requestis in PDF (Portable Document Format) file(s) attached to this
email.

The PDF file format is used for electronic distribution because it
preserves the look and feel of the original document complete with
fonts, colours, images, and layout. To open a PDF file you can download
a free program called Acrobat Reader and install it onto your computer
by clicking on to the following URL:

http://www.adobe.co.uk/products/acrobat/...

Yours sincerely,

Data Protection and Freedom of Information Office

Direct Line: +44 (0)141 330 2523
Fax: 0141 330 4920

Gilbert Scott Building
University of Glasgow
University Avenue
Glasgow G12 8QQ
G12 8QQ

The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401

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Robert Clark left an annotation (14 December 2009)

Paying £283,000 to the supplier for the due diligence doesn't look right.

Put simply, due diligence is about 'making sure' that you are buying what you think you are buying and that there will be no future 'surprises'. You should rely on your own investigations, analysis and judgement as to whether or not the purchase is a sound investment.

If the University did not have the expertise to do this they should have employed an independent body to carry out the due diligence. Did they expect the supplier to tell them that the system would be full of 'surprises'?

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