A new Socitm report highlights the benefits that Scotland's
commitment to IT can bring, Mike Simons reports
Recognising that devolved government offers the chance to
highlight the role of IT in enhancing local democracy and citizens'
services, the Society of Information Technology Management (Socitm)
has produced a new report to rally IT professionals to the
opportunities ahead and highlight the key role of IT to
politicians.
The report, entitled E-Scotland - Improving People's Lives, also
has the support of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives
and Senior Managers. It emphasises the breadth of work already
underway in Scotland. "There are many innovations, experiments and
pilots taking place within local government," it says, adding that
the diversity and scale of local government encourages
experimentation.
It also highlights initiatives "driven from Brussels,
Westminster and Edinburgh". These, says the report, often have
funding restrictions and may overlap or seem to start without
reference to other initiatives.
According to Socitm, "This somewhat haphazard approach is not
appropriate for the new era of government in Scotland, where major
policy issues must be tackled across the board in partnerships with
all parts of the public sector, and the private sector. These
developments must turn into sustainable operations. Local
government will, in most cases, be the natural body for making them
work in the longer-term."
Socitm emphasises that the scale of the benefits IT can bring,
and the challenge facing IT professionals in delivering it,
requires ambitious vision and plans.
However, the report warns, "This should not be a grand design.
Sufficient examples exist in central government to indicate that
the 'big strategy', or the 'mega-project', is a high-risk approach
to managing change through the use of ICT. Rather, what is required
is a process whereby manageable blocks can be implemented,
delivering benefits on the way through a holistic approach that
puts people, rather than technology, at the heart of change."
The report says much current technology is under-exploited.
Socitm attributes this to managers and senior decision-makers who
do not appreciate or know how to create the right culture. "It is
absolutely critical that people management at times of ICT-driven
change is seen as a core competence," the report says. "A
management education and awareness programme may well be needed to
support this."
The report also warns that devolved government should not become
an excuse for insularity and urges IT professionals to seek good
practice from around the globe.
- E-Scotland - Improving People's Lives is produced the by the
Society of Information Technology Management and is available from
scotland@socitm.gov.uk