Press Releases

Government and Industry Forum Drives Forward Reform of Public Sector IT Projects

The Senior IT Forum, a joint government and industry body, has today announced new initiatives designed to improve the way the public sector manages high-value IT projects.

Speaking at the Senior IT Forum event in London today, Douglas Alexander, the Minister for e-Transformation, Peter Gershon, Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce, and John Higgins, Chief Executive of Intellect, launched three initiatives that represent a valuable contribution to ensuring the successful delivery of major Government IT-enabled projects. 

• Senior Responsible Industry Executive. A new role introducing an industry equivalent to the Senior Responsible Owner.
• Government Procurement Code. A code of practice for government and its suppliers.
• Value for Money Evaluation in Complex Procurements. A Best Practice guide on seeking solutions that balance cost and quality over the whole life of the contract or product. 

Commenting on today's launch, Douglas Alexander said:

"Taken together these three new initiatives demonstrate the Government's resolve to work with our partners in order to deliver value for money across major public sector ICT projects, ensuring they are better procured and managed."

Peter Gershon said of the announcement:

"Today's initiatives represent a valuable contribution to ensuring successfully delivered public sector IT projects and programmes. These products demonstrate that a partnering approach to projects and procurements is key to the predictability of successful delivery."

John Higgins said:

"These initiatives are the first tangible results of a successful programme of joint work.  Our efforts must now focus on their successful adoption throughout government and its suppliers."

The Senior IT Forum is regarded as an excellent model of industry and government working together to identify deep-seated systemic project-management problems and more importantly, design and implement solutions to such problems.

OGC believes the need for such work can only increase as the pace of modernisation, underpinned by IT-enabled business change, quickens.

The announcement of these initiatives is the latest example of the government's determination to improve the way the public sector both manages and delivers major and high-risk IT projects

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Senior IT Forum was established in October 2000 following the government published report "Successful IT: Modernising Government in Action" and the Computing Services and Software Association (CSSA) report "Getting IT Right for Government".  The Forum is jointly sponsored by OGC and Intellect.

Established in April 2000, the OGC was set up to act as a catalyst in procurement issues and to work with civil departments to achieve best value for money in their commercial activities. Responsible for civil central government procurement policy and best practice including Construction, Property Management, IT, the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), supplier relations including opening government contracts to SMEs, e-commerce including the Government Procurement Card, the Gateway Review Process, OGCbuying.solutions, including the Government buying catalogues, G-Cat and S-Cat and developing strategic procurement partnerships with the private sector.

Intellect is the new association created to give a single powerful voice for the information technology, telecommunications and electronics industries in the UK and incorporates members of CSSA and FEI.  Intellect represents more than 1000 organisations ranging from blue chip multi-nationals through to early stage technology enterprises. Intellect is committed to improving the environment in which our members do business, promoting their interests and providing them with high value services.

Membership of the Senior IT Forum consists of an equal number of senior representatives from government and the IT industry and is chaired by Peter Gershon, Chief Executive of the Office of Government Commerce. The aim of the Forum is to identify and address joint systemic issues that occur in the acquisition and implementation of Government IT-enabled projects.

Further background on today's three initiatives:

Senior Responsible Industry Executive  - The SRIE is a new role introduced by the Senior IT Forum as an industry equivalent to the government's Senior Responsible Owner.  The SRIE should provide strategic direction and leadership within the supplier organisation to ensure they are aligned with the government customer's business objectives and that project resources are used accordingly. The introduction of this role enables senior management on both the supplier and the customer side of a project to work together and to engage in joint problem solving.

Government Procurement Code - is a voluntary code of practice for government and its suppliers.  The code sets out the core values and behaviour for central civil government's supply chain, including government organisations, suppliers and their sub-contractors in order to ensure successful partnering.

Value for Money Evaluation in Complex Procurements - is an OGC published Best Practice Guide (published earlier this year) to advise those involved with procurement on how to seek solutions that balance cost and quality over the whole life of a contract or a product.  This guide asks a series of key questions that should be considered throughout the procurement process.

Press enquiries to OGC to Martin Day on 020 7271 1318/1366 or e-mail at Martin.Day@ogc.gsi.gov.uk

Press enquiries to Intellect to Alex Quinn on 020 7395 6731 or e-mail at Alex.Quinn@intellectuk.org