Change is coming to public sector IT

IT professionals across the public sector will be waiting for this year’s Budget announcement next month with extra anticipation.

While most eyes will be on any further measures chancellor Alistair Darling introduces to deal with the recession, the results of former Logica chief executive Martin Read’s review of IT spending, due to be released at the same time, will have significant repercussions for government and local authority technologists.

News that the CIO Council of government IT leaders told Read to be more radical in his thinking shows that at the very top of the profession there is a realisation that the public sector must be more innovative and efficient in its use of technology. The recently announced strategy promoting open source is probably just the start.

Much of the private sector is going through a steep learning curve already in finding ways to cut costs and be smarter with IT to survive the downturn. Their peers in Whitehall and in councils around the country are likely to be following in their footsteps very soon.