26.01.12
IT strategy needs improvement
The Government’s IT procurement strategy is still lacking in its commitment to independent benchmarking of contracts with transparent data, is failing to understand the risks of legacy systems, and is unclear on how to address the IT skills gap, the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) claims.
PASC has highlighted these challenges and suggested that Government must implement digital more quickly. It also recommended an independent investigation into allegations of cartel-like behaviour among suppliers.
Bernard Jenkin MP, chair of the committee said: “The problems in IT procurement go deep and require major changes. This can only be achieved by bringing in IT executives and buyers from large and small companies, who understand what they are buying and the innovations on offer.
“This expertise cannot be contracted out. It is a people challenge. The few new people brought in so far are having to battle against the failed culture of the establishment. We also renew our recommendation of an independent investigation into allegations of cartel-like behaviour among the major systems integrators, which itself may prove structural rather than deliberate. We may have to return to this issue in a future inquiry.”
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