Its not just permanent staff vetting, most organisations run lean ships, so when you have a new software installations or major development piece of work especially as the technology platforms change, you can finish up having to bring specialist consultants or contractors in giving them access to your systems.
The worst situation I remember was Y2K when the DWP had over 1500 man years of reprogramming to undertake, with a staff of 500 IT professionals at a time when Y2K demand in the market place was enormous and with it enhanced salaries attracting established staff away, having to be back filled with temporary contractors and a fraught time that created.We were having to send admin staff on intensive programming training course to try and create spare capacity and plug holes.
I remember being in the DWP Y2K control centre with links across the globe with other government agencies, starting with New Zealand as their clock tripped over first.to see what issues arose in their systems. Needless to say it all became a damp squid as the new millennium rolled across the globe............
The DWP systems had to have much higher resilience than the norm in industry. As clearly the risks of civil unrest and rioting on the streets if the benefit payments systems went down was just too great.. No one would miss the Inland Revenue or VAT systems going down too much but not paying out benefits was a whole different ball game.
