Government ICT Strategy needs better measure of progress

The Cabinet Office has made a good start to implementing the Government ICT Strategy , but has not kept pace with all the government's ambitions, says the National Audit Office (NAO). The strategy was launched in March with the aim of reducing waste and project failure in ICT, creating a common ICT infrastructure, reforming public services and making government more efficient. In the words of the Public Accounts Committee, it is "very ambitious". In its review of progress over the first six months since the strategy was published in March, the NAO says the government has largely met the first round of deadlines by taking a pragmatic and collaborative approach. The Cabinet Office has established new roles to lead and deliver the strategy, many senior ICT professionals have worked together on the specified actions and most have been delivered on time. But despite good progress in implementing new technical solutions, the NAO has identified areas where it has not been so good and has particular concerns that: • The strategic implementation plan lacked a resource plan and a map for how and when departments move to strategy solutions. • A baseline requirement for ICT professional resources across central government has not been established and key immediate skills gaps have not been filled. • There are no clear criteria for measuring business outcomes. The watchdog warns: "These concerns can be dealt with, but need to be addressed in the short term if they are not to become significant barriers to progress." It calls on the strategy board to do more to help government organisations to use the new ICT products and services created through the strategy to realise benefits. It makes the following recommendations for the Cabinet Office: • It needs to engage more with senior civil servants who are not ICT professionals so that reform programmes have ICT at their core. • Together with departments and agencies, it needs to address capability gaps, particularly in procurement, supplier relationship management, new methods such as 'agile' delivery, and digital services. • It must maintain a productive relationship with suppliers, as both sides face fundamental change in conducting their business. • It must develop measures to show progress and value for money and needs sufficient management information to prioritise projects that show significant benefits, cutting areas that are delivering only marginal returns. It addss that are lessons for the Cabinet Office in theexperience of the US, Australian, Danish and Dutch governments in integrating systems and developing common infrastructure, moving public services online and managing and developing the skills of the ICT workforce. Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: "ICT is going to play an increasingly important role in changing how government works and how services are provided. "The Government ICT Strategy is in its early days and initial signs are good. However, new ways of working are as dependent on developing the skills of people in the public sector as they are on changes to technology and processes. The big challenge is to ensure that the strategy delivers value in each of these areas." This article is published by Guardian Professional. For updates on public sector IT, join the Government Computing Network here.