BS2912 Public Administration in Britain

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain

• 7 ICT in the Public Sector

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• Patricia Hewitt is Britains 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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)

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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)

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• Central governments role is to mandate the
  basic technical framework (browser key
  interface, adoption of XML as cornerstone of
  government data integration)
• 2 transformations required
• G -gtC (Governments to Customers) G-gtG
  (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)

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• Government and Large Computer Systems
• The Governments 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?)

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• Government and Large Computer Systems
• DHSS Operational Strategy in the 1980s planned
  to link 40,000 micros in 1000 offices
• Costs soared (700m -gt2000million)
• Accuracy levels low (e.g. 1 in 5 family credit
  claims incorrect)
• Shortage of key IT staff to project manage the
  implementation

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• Government and Large Computer Systems
• 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)

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• Government and Large Computer Systems
• 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)

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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)

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BS2912 Public Administration in Britain7ICT in
the Public Sector

• 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