DfID cuts IT budget by 29%

The department's IT spending fell from £26.9m during 2008-09 to £19.2m in 2009-10, according to a parliamentary written answer published on 13 July 2010. International development minister Alan Duncan told Conservative MP Graham Evans that the figures include day to day ICT services such as licences, communications, hardware, staff costs and expenditure on ICT projects. Chris Pennell, principal analyst at Kable, said: "The decline highlights the challenge of managing an increase in programme spend while at the same time reducing the cost of administering such spends. DfID has done much to invest in improvements around reporting and information systems through its ARIES programme. "Given the physical proximity to other overseas offices, it is likely that consolidation in this area will be the big focus. DfID should be looking to take advantage of services provided by suppliers of shared or managed services to organisations such as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This will benefit both organisations." DfID also disclosed that the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission (CSC), a non-departmental public body, spent £178,034 on ICT projects from 2002-03 to 2009-10. "The secretariat provides general ICT support to CSC and the cost of this support cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost," Duncan added.