Public sector IT plan issued

Strategy addresses potential for IT to transform modern government

The first public sector-wide technology strategy has been published by the Cabinet Office eGovernment Unit (eGU).

The Strategy for Transformational Government has been developed by head of egovernment Ian Watmore in conjunction with the 25-strong Chief Information Officer Council.

Published yesterday (Wednesday), it aims to address the potential for IT to meet the challenges of modern government: economic productivity, social justice and public service reform.

‘The strategy will raise the profile of the IT-enabled transformation agenda and help people secure investment in local areas by providing an extra degree of government-wide backing,’ Watmore told Computing.

The document covers three major areas:

• Development of customer-oriented services
• Use of shared administration systems to streamline Whitehall’s back office
• Development of the public sector IT profession to improve project delivery, to ensure technology investment is well-spent and to develop supplier relationships.

Action plans adding detail to the strategy’s broad themes will be in place for the start of the next financial year, says Watmore.

‘This is about how people from different areas such as the police or education sectors can take key themes back to their businesses to have an impact on their own local version of services,’ he said.
A central recommendation is the appoint

ment of Customer Group Directors (CGDs) from within front-line delivery functions, such as the Pension Service, to co-ordinate services across all the agencies with which citizens interact.

Only three CGDs will be appointed initially to help establish the parameters of the role, and a national board will be established to set the overall service transformation agenda.

‘We want to create a board of senior people to sponsor the capture of best practice and to challenge people where they see it not being applied,’ said Watmore.
The strategy’s success will depend on execution, say experts.

Jeremy Beale, head of ebusiness at employers’ group the CBI, said: ‘The eGU has mapped out very sensible ways of going forward, but to make this a success it will have to engage thoroughly with business and community organisations.’

Nick Kalisperas, government director at trade body Intellect, said: ‘The strategy demonstrates an increasingly sophisticated view of how IT affects all aspects of government, but we need to see how it is taken forward.’