Chris,

Please do not misunderstand me, as I have worked for single employers, consultancies and on my own.

I mean that you need an agreement with whoever you are doing the work for..........internal, external or whatever.

I was once taught the buzz phrase "MCMR...........my customer, my responsibility"...........well that is IT, because we are a service function. On the other hand, the users have to realise that just because IT is an internal function it does not mean that it is "free".

That is my biggest argument against outsourcing. As soon as they have to sign off the bills (a direct cost rather than an indirect/overhead one) they get very shy, so they don't ask for what the business needs...............they all sit there waiting for someone else to ask..............

Then the outsourcer gets bored and lays off staff........HR are very happy, the wage bill is way down.....then a project comes up......but they have no staff, neither does the marvellous outsourcer because they fired them all............so then I step in at $1575 per day (minimum 3 months contract) and they have really "saved" money

My advice is, if you hold stock in a company that is about to outsource IT, or is even considering it...........dump that stock fast

I have actually been in the position of leaving a company on a friday, and re-starting with them on monday...........they outsourced IT, and I came back as a "senior software engineer"..........I was not one of the weapons of mass destruction types (the corporate business), I only supported them AGAINST ( and I do mean that) my former colleagues.

Just my experience