LONDON - SchlumbergerSema, a business segment of Schlumberger Limited, today announced that it has been selected by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to deliver consulting and systems integration services to develop GENESIS, a new system that will help administer its rural development schemes. The two year development contract, valued at 15 million, is awarded under the existing framework agreement between SchlumbergerSema and Defra and is part of wider business changes aimed at transforming the way that the England Rural Development Program (ERDP) is delivered.
The aim of GENESIS is to ensure that contacts between scheme applicants and agreement holders and Defra will be simple and consistent even if schemes change or new schemes are introduced. These customers will receive a more responsive service and not have to repeat information already provided. It will also increase Defra's ability to handle a greater take up of agri-environment schemes by supporting the automation and streamlining the administration of some aspects of the ERDP.
"I am delighted to announce this new contract award with SchlumbergerSema," said Alun Michael, Rural Affairs Minister. "The new system will enable us to significantly improve the way Defra delivers the England Rural Development Program, which in turn is central to Government's plans for bringing about positive, sustainable change in rural areas."
"The GENESIS system, together with new business processes and ways of working, aims to provide a cost effective, lasting mechanism for delivering the benefits for rural development schemes and making better informed policy decisions," explained David Tait, Director, SchlumbergerSema, UK. "This will enable the Rural Development Service and others to focus on giving greater support to farmers and rural communities and businesses."
The GENESIS system will support the established and emerging Defra IT strategy of enabling the sharing of information between different parts of the organization and with partners.
Leveraging over 22 years public sector experience, SchlumbergerSema is a major provider of IT, business and managed services to the public sector worldwide. Drawing on its extensive sector knowledge, SchlumbergerSema enables government organizations across the globe to run their operations more securely, cost-effectively and efficiently through its consulting and system integration expertise.
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About SchlumbergerSema
SchlumbergerSema is one of two business segments of Schlumberger Limited, a global technology services company. SchlumbergerSema aggregates IT consulting, systems integration, managed services and related products to the oil and gas, telecommunications, energy and utilities, finance, transport and public sector markets. Leveraging the Schlumberger DeXa* Suite of Services, it also provides IP network connectivity, information security solutions, distributed computing support services, data center hosting and business continuity services. In 2002, Schlumberger revenues were $13.5 billion. For more information, visit www.slb.com
The England Rural Development Program (ERDP) was introduced in January 2000. It underpins Government's New Direction for Agriculture by helping farmers and foresters to respond better to consumer requirements and become more competitive, diverse, flexible and environmentally responsible. It also provides help to rural businesses and communities, which need to adapt and develop. The England Rural Development Program will make a significant contribution to Government's plans for bringing about change in rural areas. It takes a broad view of the needs of rural areas and rural communities. It offers a more integrated set of schemes. It places much stronger emphasis on addressing regional and local issues and on encouraging and developing ideas at grass roots level. It is intended that the ERDP will play a major role in helping rural communities recover from Foot and Mouth Disease. Under the England Rural Development Program, 1.6bn will be available to farmers over the next seven years for environmental protection and improvement and rural development.
More information is available on the Rural Development pages of the Defra web site www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/about/aboutindex.htm
For further information, contact:
Caroline Crouch
media relations manager
Tel: +44 20 7830 4233
Mobile: +44 7733 310 086
ccrouch@slb.com
© Press Release 2006
