Accenture selected for child support system overhaul

The Australian Department of Human Services (DHS) has awarded its first major contract in the child support payment system overhaul to Accenture.

The overhaul of the system was first flagged in last year's federal Budget, where AU$102.2 million had been allocated over the next five years to replace the legacy Cuba child support system.

The system, which processes over 1 billion transactions per year, is more than a decade old, and the government is now looking to have a new system in place by December 2015.

Minister of Human Services Maris Payne today announced that DHS had signed an agreement for the new system to be delivered using SAP technology with the support of Accenture and SAP.

"Accenture and SAP will assist in building the replacement system while ensuring that the department is left with a skilled, in-house workforce able to maintain the system into the future, at reduced cost to the taxpayer," Payne said in a statement.

"This key project will pave the way for more efficient transfer of information between Child Support, Centrelink, and government departments and give the government flexibility to rapidly implement new initiatives into the future."

A spokesperson for DHS told ZDNet that the value of the contract for Accenture would be determined once the project has been completed.

"The contract is set up as a standing agreement, and Accenture will perform work under various work packages issued by the department over the life of the contract. The value of the contract will be determined over time as the work packages are issued," the spokesperson said.

Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews indicated last month that the government is considering merging the Department of Social Services with DHS in order to cut costs and save on IT spending.