A few days ago, we were given a leaked copy of Labour’s report on public sector IT, which was scheduled to be published ahead of the Pre-Budget Report next week. The Government hopes that this report will prove that they can make efficiency savings to deal with the spiralling debt crisis, and can finally get to grips with the systemic failures in public sector IT procurement over the past decade.
As you will see, the report achieves none of these things.
Since 1997, Labour ministers have spent approximately £100 billion on IT projects, more than any other European country. A recent study concluded that 70% of recent IT projects have failed – meaning tens of billions of pounds wasted on systems ranging from the calamitous £20 billion NHS supercomputer to the poorly managed Home Office probation service IT system.
We think there’s a better way. Not only is it possible to develop a more ambitious, cost-effective and transformative vision for government IT, but we believe that it’s also possible to pursue a completely different approach to making policy. Rather than the traditional closed approach to policy making that this report typifies, we want to throw open the process and allow people to contribute their ideas on how policy should be designed. In the post-bureaucratic age, we believe that crowdsourcing and collaborative design can help us to make better policies – and we think this approach should begin now.
That’s why we’ve built a new website – www.makeITbetter.org.uk – where you can post your comments and suggestions on this leaked Government report. We want to hear your ideas – and we will be responding to your thoughts in the weeks ahead.
I look forward to reading your comments – thanks for taking part.
( 14 comments ) Tags: Government strategy, IT
Comment by Gary on December 1, 2009 at 10:17 am
That sounds brilliant, the amount of money wasted by this government (not just IT) is genuinely a scandal.
A more open policy making process is ideal for both the public and government who will have better policy as a result.
Comment by Graham on December 1, 2009 at 11:42 am
I am an IT consultant of 35 years experience and I will enjoy going over this report in detail and I will post my comments. I too have been appalled by the number of failed IT projects in government, its big brother database strategy and the waste of public money. However, this seems to be driven by faceless Whitehall mandarins who get free incentives and inducements from IT suppliers. So I am not sure that a Conservative government would change the IT procurement policy unless they also radically change how Whitehall operates. In fact reading some of the report I would guess it was written by or with the help of a potential IT supplier. I will comment more on this on the report blog.
Pingback by The Blue Blog » Give us your thoughts on Labour's leaked ICT strategy < Read what Young Indians Read on December 1, 2009 at 12:03 pm
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Comment by Martin Houston on December 1, 2009 at 12:48 pm
The key to stopping this merry-go-round of wasted taxpayers money is for our government to follow the lead of many more enlightened countries and having a policy of basing public infrastructure on the communally developed open source.
Without millions flowing around for the intangible good of ‘software licenses’ there is less scope for the corruption and overspending that has dogged projects in the past.
The Open source operating system Linux is what is running on the majority of the worlds supercomputers! It was also making great inroads into making computers cheap for the public in the guise of the Netbook until Microsoft flexed its monopoly muscles with the hardware suppliers!
Tony Blair and Bill Gates were far too pally! It has put the UK at a great disadvantage, we have a lot of catching up to do.
Comment by Alun J. Carr on December 1, 2009 at 3:31 pm
There is an interesting item on the Computerworld web site relating to a study from Harvard on computers in healthcare: ‘Harvard study: Computers don’t save hospitals money’
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/print/9141428/Harvard_study_Computers_don_t_save_hospitals_money?taxonomyName=Hardware&taxonomyId=12
In the article, right at the start, is a link to the paper published in the American Journal of Medicine, which is freely downloadable as a PDF and contains all of the relevant statistical analyses. Perhaps it should be passed to Dr Liam Fox for expert comment before using it to shoot down the current government’s NHS IT policy?
Comment by IAN DAWSON on December 1, 2009 at 4:50 pm
“Government”(however you want to define it) has always been an inherently incompetent body .Botched IT is merely a single manifestation of this.
Comment by Barbara Arundel on December 1, 2009 at 5:11 pm
The only way to change Public services is in my view, would be to stop giving out bonus’s, get rid of directors, management trusts, managers for this, for that, for the other. In every public service, we lack grass roots, we have managers, over her, managers over him, and some have degree’s and no practical knowledge. The public sevices require, practical hands on folk, who are paid a decent living wage, and given some managment training. We are sick to the teeth, of these yuppy type people, only interested in a salery, and attending sad old meetings all day, on how to change a good service into a bad one. My consultancy fees, you can use to buy a new bed, some nursing staff, and new equipment. Also if you intend to stand for election, you would be wise to choose staff who know how the real world works, how to run their own house hold before they consider running government. Also it would be good to see peace accross the world being promoted, instead of children fighting to have the most power. Really have no faith any more, in this Government, or any going forward. And I speak on behalf of many.
Comment by Mike Howse on December 1, 2009 at 9:00 pm
I look forward to reading this with interest. Like many others I am appalled by the waste of public money where all too often IT projects are delivered over budget and late – if at all. The failed projects are invariably too big – some so big that inevitably requirements change and there may be several revisions in technology from start of project to finish. Success by the inch is a sinch, success by the yardis hard
Comment by Charles Smith on December 2, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I’d approve of the government using open source software.
A more radical technological solution would be ‘cloud computing’ as it would help improve data security and would reduce costs from maintaining so many individual expensive computers with software licences dedicated to itself.
As for government computer systems, every large company implementing a large system has similar troubles, only companies don’t have bottomless pockets so everyone works harder for a solution.
I’d suggest the government either runs prototype competitions for private companies to compete for a contract or develops its own government IT departments wherever it wants one of these large systems. IT works best when its integrated with the business.
Comment by Arnold Whittle on December 3, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Hi Phillip, I think when we talk about savings in public finances we should take a look at Quango’s in todays broad sheet it mentions that large amount of public work is done by these Quango’s I think money could be saved in this area and that is a starting point.
Pingback by UK Gov’s ICT Strategy – Cloudy and in need of sunshine | Talkin' bout a revolution on December 6, 2009 at 12:17 pm
[...] claim that since 1997, Labour ministers have spent approximately £100 billion on IT projects. They cite a study, however, that concludes 70% of recent IT projects have failed. This equates to ‘tens [...]
Comment by James R on December 8, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I am concerned that by publishing Labour’s leaked ICT strategy in this way, without constructive criticism or a credible alternative strategy along side, leaves the Conservatives open to the accusation that they do not have a credible alternative strategy themselfs. This is vital as it’s such a obviouse area for cost savings and a vital tool in making the public sector more efficient.
Comment by Violet Foot on December 9, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Pls can you put subtitles on ALL of the Conservative videos as shown on the Conservative sites.Many many of us cannot hear well or even at all it is so frustrating to click on a video and see one of the gentlemen or ladies talking but the words fall on deaf ears!!!WE have the VOTE too.So Plllllease subtitle!Thank you so much.lovingengland1
Comment by chris on October 20, 2010 at 1:06 am
You need change your structure. Most of the Gov websites are a mess with more red tape around them than ever. They need structuring in a sensible manor by professionals trained to deal with these areas. I spent years in IT computers and Electronics. Enough to know how and whats wrong. Your clearly employing staff and paying for services that are a waste of money. A team of developers need work as a team and they need to be good not just good but good good. you need a system you have control over completely which you can depend on. A system that has a person able to provide content UK wide that is simple and accurate. Your spending too much on external services that you dont need. There is way too much to be able to put in this box but you need a very very good consultant someone with design development and management skills you can trust. Keep it in house and dont use Microsoft hosted servers or any hosted servers for that matter that are not in your own possession.