Public sector IT is changing. It is no longer the slow and rather cumbersome cousin of private industry but has become dynamic and fluid in its own right.

The days of mass budgets and even bigger departments are long gone. Public sector IT now has to be faster, quicker and smarter than private sector businesses.

IT advancements in the not-for-profit sector have been phenomenal over the past 10 years, with central government creating the impetus for efficiencies in the local government arena.

The result is a more effective service for citizens and increasingly streamlined IT systems.

Transformational changes started to take place with the implementation of e-government policies which set out requirements for new IT systems.

Web-based technology was needed to transfer services, such as council tax payment and other paperwork, online.

Councils started to look at the ways they could improve internal systems as part of the transformation programme to improve efficiency.

Now the new processes are up and running, it is important to maximise the benefits achieved and ensure staff have the right skills to manage projects effectively.

Technology improvements present a great opportunity for local government to prove its expertise, leapfrog private business and lead the project management skills arena.

But an IT programme will fail if the skills and expertise to oversee the development of the project are lacking.

In an environment of streamlined public sector IT, good project management skills are essential.

A marked increase in demand for training that incorporates project management skills alongside improved delivery of IT systems demonstrates the emerging skills requirement.

Management skills work right across the board and facilitate the implementation of new information technology practices and procedures in all areas of the business.

One of the most popular project management courses is Prince 2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments).

Prince was originally developed for use in the public sector but is now accepted as best practice across both government and private industry.

The widespread adoption of the best practice standard demonstrates how the public sector is leading its private counterparts in new initiatives.

The subsequent version, Prince 2, is designed to enhance the methods outlined in Prince and further develop the best practice approach to managing a wide range of IT projects.

Project management is a key component of what should be considered a set of core skills for anyone working within public sector IT.

As well as management abilities, overseeing the delivery of IT services is another essential skill as technology evolves at such a rapid pace.

IT service implementation has become a boardroom issue rather than a case of simply solving desktop issues.

And a core part of successfully delivering technology services is IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

ITIL is regarded the world over as the best practice framework for the development of well-managed IT systems.

Though Prince and ITIL skills will remain core to successful IT project implementation, IT professionals must still be aware of future skills demands.

As programmes evolve and the needs of individual projects develop, it is imperative to have the right skills within a team for it to be able to cope with the inevitable change.

One of the most important efficiency drives is the ability to integrate new systems with older ones when required.

Microsoft’s .Net tools will play a large part in integrating legacy systems as new ones are introduced, thus significantly cutting down on development time and consequently making for a much more efficient department.

New components of the government’s transformation programme will be delivered much quicker if systems are easily integrated and will ultimately benefit all public sector departments.

While project management and ITIL continue to form the essential skill set in public sector IT, employees should always be on the lookout for the skills they will need for the next big IT development.

By keeping one eye on the future, the public sector will continue to prove that it can keep up with private industry and become even more effective, flexible and dynamic.

Robert Chapman is chief executive at Firebrand Training, formerly The Training Camp

Top tips for getting on in public sector IT
*Be flexible by lending yourself to as many roles as you can.

*Keep one step ahead by anticipating industry trends before they hit.

*Familiarise yourself with upcoming legislation and prepare suggestions to comply with it.

*Understand wider business targets set out by government initiatives and how these affect your role.

*Learn how your particular skills can help to benefit others in smaller shared services schemes.

*Be willing to learn, identify the skills you need to get to the next level and how you can acquire them.

*Gain experience, taking every opportunity to learn new things.