GDS unveils government IT contract dashboard

Dashboard will help to reduce duplication and costs, says CTS director Iain Patterson

Common Technology Services (CTS), part of the Government Digital Service (GDS), has built a cross-government IT contract dashboard designed to enable government departments to be more transparent and make better-informed decisions.

Iain Patterson, who returned to the GDS as the director of CTS in December, after a stint as CTO of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), explained in a blog post that the dashboard, which is still in beta, "will help us understand why departments are requesting money to spend on their IT, the impact of the changes they want to make, and to help prevent them building or buying something which is available elsewhere in government".

"We're doing all of this collaboratively with departments, and the idea is to make everything available for all of government," he added.

Patterson said the initiative aims to boost transparency within the government IT sector, showcase good practice and support the sharing of knowledge, so that departments can make better-informed decisions and thereby reduce costs and risks when making changes.

Patterson said government has a lot of talented individuals but they are being held back by their aging IT systems.

"You see that echoed in Civil Service buildings across the country, where outdated operating systems and antiquated kit make everyday activities laborious and frustrating," he said.

While he encourages the use of cloud-based collaborative tools to replace on-site legacy software and systems, Patterson said that the departments needed support to make the most of such a transition.

"There's a lot of heavy lifting to be done behind the scenes to allow these collaborative tools to work. This is where CTS comes in," he said.

Patterson said CTS is working closely with departments to understand their IT needs and help them source the most appropriate solutions. He noted that a secure email blueprint is already available, and that shared printing and cross-government Wi-Fi are being trialled.

CTS is also helping departments to exit £4.8bn worth of contracts that are due to expire within the next two years, and is working with the IT industry to "find smart, safe and cost-effective replacements".

Last week, GDS awarded £25m worth of contracts in a bid to revamp Common Technology Services (CTS).