Rumors say Swedish Administrative Development Agency is to be closed

Computer Sweden writes that Verva (Swedish Administrative Development Agency) is to be closed. I was called Friday by a journalist that asked what I think about it. My response was approximately that It was a correctly created agency, but I am not surprised this decision is taken as not much has happened.

That I have this view should not be a surprise to anyone, specifically not people at Verva (including the head of Verva, Lena Jönsson) as I during the short lifetime of Verva (since Jan 1 2006) have really supported them, while at the same time always asked for deliverables. Over and over again. But when deliverables are not delivered, well, then I think that is evidence that the construction does not work, and we (Sweden) should try something else.

Updated: In a followup article Lena Jönsson (head of Verva) say that she is surprised.

Updated: People have asked me in a comment and in private mail more exactly what I think should have been delivered. What I have looked for are more guidelines, specifications etc. Specifications that later could be used in the RFPs that they have issued. What Verva have done are a few documents. Some of very high quality, some “just” continuations from the work at Statskontoret. To be really honest, I think for example the SHS Platform could have been split up in first of all a specification and the RFP process. And then split in the various building blocks. That way it could for example have been easier to get agreements on transport mechanism for the e-Invoice SWEFaktura. As what now happened, we had two transport mechanisms, and many many meetings. I think that was sad, and increased the delay in the process(es).