AiRSWeb Database Costs

The request was successful.

Dear Highways Agency,

The Highways Agency use the Accident and Incident Reporting System (AIRS) named AIRSweb to record safety related incidents on the HA Network.

1. Over the past 5 years for which figures are available, what was the total operational cost per year for the AIRSWeb database; and it's predecessors, used to deliver this service?

2. What checks, audits and controls are used to validate the accuracy of this data, (i) how frequent are they applied? (ii) and list all responsible persons in terms of their job title and organisation (not by name) who are responsible for the quality of this data?

3. As per item 2 above, please provide full details and reports of all the findings observed over the past 5 years listing in full, all corrective actions identified with dates and the dates by which these were fully implemented.

4. What lessons have been learnt from items 2 & 3 above.

Yours faithfully,

A Jordan

Dear A.Jordan

Thank you for contacting the Highways Agency Information Line on Thursday 10.05.12 with your Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Your request has been forwarded to the relevant team who will respond within 20 working days under ref 13304050.

In the meantime, please take a look at the following link: http://www.highways.gov.uk/foiresponses/... for more information regarding the Highways Agency's process for FOI requests

Yours Sincerely

Bill Gould
Highways Agency Information Line, National Traffic Operations Centre, 3 Ridgeway, Quinton Business Park, Quinton, Birmingham, B32 1AF
Tel: 0300 123 5000
Web: http://www.highways.gov.uk
E-Mail: [Highways Agency request email]
Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers
Highways Agency, an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport.

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Smith, Ian (Bedford),

2 Attachments

Dear Alan,
 
I refer to your recent Freedom of Information request about AIRSweb dated
11th May 2012 (CRS Ref: 674,983) and have pleasure in providing you with
the following information:
 
Question 1
 
The operational cost of running the AIRSweb system over the past 5
financial years (FY) is as follows.  
 
07/08 FY = £20,167.80
08/09 FY = £60,800
09/10 FY = £63,600
10/11 FY = £66,000
11/12 FY = £52,099.60
 
This is the composite cost of the AIRSweb software licence fee plus an
apportionment of the support and hosting charges made to the  Highways
Agency (the Agency) by its IT systems delivery partner.   The reduction
in costs in the the last few FYs are due to an ongoing review of the
applications.
 
Question 2
 
Whilst the Agency does not conduct a continuous ongoing audit of input
to the AIRSweb system, relying on our contractor's own internal processes,
in 2011,  the Agency's internal audit function carried out a
review of accident and near miss reporting processes.  This resulted
in identifying areas where there was potential scope for improvement,
including  initial incident reporting and follow-on processes of closing
incident investigations, the identification and promulgation of lessons
learnt to avoid incident recurrence and led to an overall 'partial'
assurance rating.  A copy of the report is attached for your
information.  
 
The data is recorded by staff appointed by the Agency's supply chain to
record incidents in their area . It is the responsibility of these
individuals to record and maintain incident information on AIRS. Their job
title is not known (and is of no relevance) to the Agency as client.
 
Question 3
 
The above audit findings identified a number of areas where use of the
system could be improved. This was recorded in the form of a list of
recommendations assigned to various individuals within the Agency as shown
from page 7 of the report . Please note that per the FOI
arrangements, names of individuals below Senior Civil Service level have
been redacted. No other information has been removed.
  
Question 4
 
The Agency has responded to these recommendations and has published
revised guidance to its supply chain on how they report incidents and
use the AIRSweb system. This guidance takes the form of Interim Advice
Note (IAN) 128/12. This can be found at -
 
[1]DfT DMRB Link to IANs 
 
The IAN mentions a significant improvement to the way suppliers access
the AIRSweb system. From 1st May 2012 access arrangements were improved
and suppliers no longer have to obtain a leased communications line in
order to record an incident. In addition the access arrangements have been
simplified so that new users can be granted access to the system much more
quickly. We expect that these changes will improve the timeliness and
accuracy of data recorded on AIRSweb.
 

The information supplied to you continues to be protected by the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. You are free to use it for your
own purposes, including for private study and non-commercial research, and
for any other purpose authorised by an exception in current copyright law.
Documents (except photographs) can be also used in the UK without
requiring permission for the purposes of news reporting. Any other re-use,
for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the
copyright holder.

 

Most documents supplied by Highways Agency will have been produced by
government officials and will be Crown Copyright. Most Crown Copyright
information can be re-used under the Open Government Licence
([2]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/o...). For
information about OGL and about re-using Crown Copyright information
please see The National Archives website -
[3]http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/infor....

 

Copyright in other documents may rest with a third party. For information
about obtaining permission from a third party see the Intellectual
Property Office s website at [4]www.ipo.gov.uk.

 

If you are unhappy with the way we have handled your request you may ask
for an internal review. Our internal review process is available at
http://www.highways.gov.uk/foiresponses/....

 

If you require a print copy, please phone the Highways Agency Information
Line on 0300 123 5000; or e-mail [5][Highways Agency request email] . You
should contact me if you wish to complain.

 

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

            Information Commissioner s Office

            Wycliffe House

            Water Lane

            Wilmslow

            Cheshire

            SK9 5AF

 

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

 
Regards,
 
Ian Smith
Highways Agency | Woodlands | Manton Lane | Bedford | MK41 7LW
Tel: +44 (0) 1234 796276 | Mobile: + 44 (0) 7525 968780
Web: [6]http://www.highways.gov.uk
GTN: 3013 6276

Safe roads, reliable journeys, informed travellers
Highways Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Transport.
 

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References

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