Covid-19 Test and Trace systems (FOI)

In a published video and previous FOI response, the Government of Jersey are using Microsoft Dynamics in relation to Covid-19 Test and Trace.

We would like to know the following updated information (up-to 1st July 2020):

A
Total costs spent on licenses from Microsoft.

B
Total costs spent on third party connected applications (such as Twilio etc).

C
Breakdown of costs (ideally including items and rates charged) which were spent on external consultants and/or technical suppliers (up-to 1st July 2020).

D
Breakdown of costs of any support agreements agreed with external consultants and/or technical suppliers in relation to the Covid-19 Test and Trace system.

A
The IT elements of the testing and tracing programme comprises the Integrated Public Health Records (IPHR) and Booking and Testing System (BaTS). 

The Microsoft licence costs recorded in Government of Jersey financial systems to 1 July 2020, were:

B
To 1 July 2020, expenditure of £2,421.89 is recorded in Government of Jersey financial systems for third party connected application, relating to the testing and tracing programme. 

C
To 1 July 2020 total costs of £417,516.67 are recorded in Government of Jersey financial systems relating to external consultants and technical suppliers for IT-related services for the testing and tracing programme.
 
Detailed information regarding rates charged is exempt under Article 33 (Commercial Interests) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011.

We believe that disclosure of the cost breakdown would likely prejudice or harm the commercial interests of the GOJ and external parties and that this prejudice outweighs the public interest in favour of disclosure.

D
As at 1 July 2020, the testing and tracing systems were being developed as part of the emergency COVID arrangements. The Booking and Testing System and Integrated Public Health Records, therefore, did not have any separate support agreements with external parties.

Information is qualified exempt information if –
(a)    it constitutes a trade secret; or
(b)    its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Article 33 (b) allows an authority to refuse a request for information where its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information). Whilst we accept that the public may have an interest in the value of contracts negotiated by the Government of Jersey we believe the contract values are commercially sensitive and that the release of this data could affect the negotiation of future contracts.