Government ICT use under fire

Public sector IT is suffering from confusion, miscommunication and mismanagement, according to an influential report published on 29 March, 2005.

The Work Foundation report says there is a "mismatch" between frontline staff who think the people want personalised services and the public which wants choice and flexibility in services.

While a quarter of members of the public asked said that having a range of options to access services was most important, only 10% of staff agreed. Also a third of citizens said that choice of school, hospital or GP was crucial while only 13% of staff considered this important.

There is also a lack of communication and poor management within public sector organisations says the report. Only a third of staff feel consulted by their managers about how to improve services despite all the importance placed on job satisfaction, says the report titled Why ICT?: The role of ICT in public services.

The report's recommendations include:

• Senior managers need to make a better case for IT's contribution to improving quality, customer focus and efficiency
• Trusted "intermediaries" could be used to support people in engaging with public services
• Procurement and project management skills must be improved
• Staff need to be involved in designing and testing technology

Commenting on the results, Alexandra Jones, senior researcher for The Work Foundation, said the findings have implications for the government's Gershon Efficiency Review.

"Gershon's Efficiency Review does not take a 'whole system' approach to change and this is important in terms of its effect on customer focus and quality. Gershon also has a tendency to over-rely on IT as a panacea. If inadequate attention is paid to people and people management, this is likely to be a key barrier to reaping the efficiency benefits of IT."

Laura Williams, researcher at The Work Foundation, added: "IT offers the potential to transform interactions and help provide 'seamless services' face-to-face, by phone and online. But this will only happen if sufficient information is provided to staff and the public, there is good communication, and clarity about what IT is being used for. More detailed questions remain about 'what' IT should look like and 'how' it can be implemented effectively; questions that will be explored in subsequent reports."