BS2912 Public Administration in Britain 7: ICT in the Public Sector.

BS2912 Public Administration in Britain

7: ICT in the Public Sector

BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7:ICT in the Public Sector

Patricia Hewitt is Britain’s first ‘e-minister’(Speech to World Congress on IT, Taipei, Taiwan, June 14th, 2000)

• Goal is universal internet access by 2005

• Internet access through digital TV and mobile devices (hence auction for 3rd Generation mobile spectrum)

• All government services to be on-line by 2005


• Get the market framework right (by further liberalising telecommunication market)

• Laws need modernising (e.g. Electronic Communications Act gives legal validity to digital signatures)

• All schools and libraries to be connected to the Internet (and all new teachers will have to be IT competent)


• Creating 700 UK on-line centres in low-income communities

• As citizens are getting 27/7 service from banks, supermarkets, they expect the same of government

• Some 1.5 billion transactions (e.g. payment of child benefit) take place each year

• ‘Legacy’ IT systems have to become ‘joined up’ (DSS operates over 100 IT systems)


• New ‘portal’ being built (‘UK online’) designed to be a one-stop shop for government

• Some are being trialled (Ihavemoved.com)

• Most government depts. are connected to the Government Secure Intranet (GSI) nut need ‘joining up’ with each other

• Move from ‘forms on line’ to ‘transactions on line’

• Government need to create ‘mass customised services’


• New NHS Direct A 24/7 service (2/3rds of callers take a different course of action than intended e.g. visit Casualty)

• Foreign Office gives on-line advice to travellers

• Childcare Link brings together information on jobs, training and local childcare

• Benefits Agency and Employment Agency to be brought together into ONE


• Central government’s role is to mandate the basic technical framework (browser = key interface, adoption of XML as cornerstone of government data integration)

• 2 transformations required:

G ->C (Governments to Customers) G->G (Government to Government)

• IT procurement must work better

• Start with the citizen not the service, partner with private sector, get the process right (not just the technology)


Government and Large Computer Systems

The Government’s record in handling large-scale computer systems has not been good with some spectacular ‘failures’

• Systems necessarily large and complex

• Specifications subject to political change

• Cannot hide mistakes so readily, but with no reference to the financial discipline of the market

• The correct methodology (Life Cycle or SSADM?)



DHSS Operational Strategy in the 1980’s planned to link 40,000 micros in 1000 offices

Costs soared (£700m ->£2000million)

Accuracy levels low (e.g. 1 in 5 family credit claims incorrect)

Shortage of key IT staff to ‘project manage’ the implementation



• Wessex Regional Health Authority launched an ambitious Regional Systems Information Systems Plan abandoned in 1990 (write-offs between 20-40 million)

• Contract suggested ‘too cosy’ a relationship with major IT suppliers – resignations came before an enquiry

• Very large amounts of money now spent on computer systems in the NHS (some as a result of the internal market)



• 1992 London Ambulance Service Computer Aided Despatch System probably resulted in excess deaths (staff warnings unheeded)

• Cheapest tender accepted – software written by staff with no experience

•1999 Passport Office (150,000 backlog)


Can we spot a disaster in the making ?

• Swanwick NATS (National Air Trafffic control System)

• High number of bugs in 1.8 million lines of code

• Needs to comply with 3,300 functional requirements and work on 203 workstations

• Software written by inexperienced staff

• Late, £120 million over budget


Information Age Government (Ch. 5 of Modernising Government)

• Government has allowed decentralised approach (which means incompatibility of systems)

• Plans to make it easier for individuals/companies to do business with the Government

• Improve communications within government

• Facilitate partnership with the private sector

• Support local communities; voluntary sector


Information Age Government (Ch. 5 of Modernising Government)

• Corporate IT strategy for government

• develop electronic services for citizens and businesses

• Partnership between public, private and voluntary sectors


By 2002… the citizen can

• Book driving and theory tests

• Look for work/be matched for jobs

• Submit self-assessment tax returns

• Get information and advice about benefits

• Get on-line health information and advice

• Use the National Grid for Learning

• Apply for training loans and support


By 2002… businesses can

• complete VAT registrations

• file returns at Companies House

• apply for regional support grants

• receive payments for supply of goods and services


Government needs to…

• Agree data standards

• Authenticate digital signatures

• standardise call centres

• develop digital TV

• Coherent approach to government web sites

• Provide ‘portals’ (electronic gateways)


Current issues…

• Encryption standards to ’free-up’ e-commerce

• Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act seen as draconian

• Is Freedom of Information paradoxically made more difficult ?

• Possibility of Unique Personal Identifiers (UPI) now closer

BS2912 Public Administration in Britain 7: ICT in the Public Sector.

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