Joining up has only just begun

Joined-up government appears finally to be moving from theory into practice.

The Varney review, published with the chancellor’s Pre-Budget Report last week, was commissioned to look at the practicalities of improving public services by cross-government working.

The private sector knows that successful IT-enabled business changes must be led by the chief executive. But real top-level sponsorship has been absent in government.

While David Varney does make some useful recommendations, his report’s real value is simply that it exists. That the investigations were commissioned by the Treasury – led by a chancellor with significant chances of becoming prime minister – place joined-up government higher up the real agenda than ever before.

And the explicit link to Whitehall’s spending review should help keep the attention of reluctant, or distracted, ministers and permanent secretaries in the face of intense cultural and structural resistance.

Suddenly joined-up government has become a genuine strategy rather than an idle phrase.

But the government is in danger of falling into the age-old trap of thinking that technology is a quick route to getting more for less.

Even the support of the chancellor, or prime minister, cannot rewrite all the rules. First, as every chief information officer knows, you have to put money in to take money out. Second, even with upfront investment, the process takes time.

The Treasury says the three-year budget process is long enough both to invest and reap the benefits, despite tightened belts.

But the IT procurements alone may take 18 months, without counting the process analysis, technical implementation and staff training. And thorny structural issues of departmental governance and budgetary control remain unresolved.

The government is right to champion joined-up services. But major changes take both money and time. Without them, technology is worthless.