Overview

Overall Project Scope

The LAWs roll-out project focuses on the enhanced take up by Local Authorities of the existing LAWs product set as it stood at the closure of the LAWs project in March 2004. This includes all LAWs products, whether functional or non-functional, except for those already handed over to other organisations (e.g. the outcomes from Information and Architecture workstrand was handed over to the local e-Government Standards Body).

While not setting out to develop new products sets it is recognised that some additional work on existing functional products may be required to enhance their credibility with the local authority community. This may not be limited to simple 'bug-fix' but could, at the discretion of the project board, include product enhancement where the lack of features inhibits take-up.

LAWs is unique among National Projects in that it has created a substantial suite of software products and infrastructure. It is clear that a key (arguably fundamental) element required to underpin roll-out, encourage take-up and, consequently, achieve sustainability, will be a clear and unequivocal assurance to local authority officers and the supplier community that products will be fit for purpose.