Delivery time for IT strategy

The publication of the Transformational Government strategy by the Cabinet Office in November last year was rightly seen as a milestone in public sector IT.

It was, after all, the UK’s first government-wide IT strategy.

But the more significant event comes today with the release of the initial implementation plan that will start to turn the good intentions into actions. Ultimately, the success or failure of the strategy will come in its delivery, not its objectives.

The government has a habit of issuing grand strategies then seemingly expecting them to happen, as if good ideas organically lead to a change for the better.

NHS, education, transport: all have received funds and new plans – yet many would argue the practical improvements have been limited.

IT is unique in being entirely cross-governmental – there is not a department, agency or public service it does not touch. We hear much talk of Blair’s legacy – yet a legacy of problematic IT would undermine more than just his place in history.

Getting technology right is not simply an absolute necessity for the government, it is a necessity for us all as citizens. Political phrases such as ‘choice’ and ‘social mobility’ will be rendered meaningless if the delivery of the strategy is not spot on.

We are all fed up with endless reports from various watchdogs and committees that always say the same thing – government IT must learn from past mistakes.

The portents from November’s announcement were good: a clear focus on citizens – the end users; more efficiency in the back-office through shared services; improving professionalism for better skills and accountability; and viewing major suppliers’ performance across all departments instead of individual contracts.

This is a common-sense approach, which recognises that successful IT is about more than technology – it covers people, process and change management equally. That, in itself, is a big step forward.

Transformational Government ticked all the right boxes for a strategy, but the only box that matters is the one that says: project successfully completed.