Hunt on for public sector IT tsar

This new role a super Government IT Tsar, or possibly even Grand Emperor – is designed to provide strategic leadership across the Civil Service on the application of ICT in Government, and will focus on how ICT can transform public services and deliver efficiency in operations.

Based in the Cabinet Office the new job includes being both head of profession for IT in government, together with responsibility for the security of the critical ICT infrastructure of the UK.  It will be a tough role to fulfil.

The successful candidate, who must be a UK citizen for security reasons, will also work with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) on public service efficiency and reform and lead the government’s strategic relationships with major IT suppliers.

“The role is analogous to that of a CIO of a very large and diverse conglomerate,” stated the job advert in the Sunday Times, 29 February.  The salary is described as “competitive".

Responsibilities of the new look e-envoy will include: defining and driving Government wide IS/CT strategy, standards, and technical architecture; and influencing policy and service development and implementation from the perspective of the potential impact of ICT.

The new postholder will also be expected to head up the Government’s strategic relationships with major ICT suppliers and the Government IT community in responding to the challenges of the transformation and efficiency programmes. 

According to the job advert candidates must be senior IT leaders, likely to be group ClOs of major organisations or senior partners with wide experience in IT oriented consulting firms.

“Communication and presentation skills will need to be of the highest order for this highly visible role and the ability to be effective across the full range of Whitehall departments will be essential," says the job advert.

What the advert doesn’t say is that to be successful the candidate will require extremely strong political backing from the top of Whitehall, together with the ability to enthuse, influence and strong diplomatic skills.

Realising the potential of IT to deliver public sector efficiencies is critical to the Government’s public service modernisation plans.  According to a leaked February report from Sir Peter Gershon, head of the OGC better use of IT is seen as vital for freeing up qualified staff for more productive work in the NHS and other public services.

Sir Peter’s leaked report suggested a series of reforms including: the creation of a series of collaborative buying agencies to dramatically improve the quality and efficiency of public procurement; and compulsory online transactions for ‘e-capable’ citizens.  The same report also questioned whether enough money has yet been earmarked to ensure staff buy into new systems and embrace the potential efficiencies to be gained.

One potential candidate to fit the bill for the new role might just be the NHS’s very own IT Tsar, Richard Granger.  It is certainly an attractive post for anyone wanting a high profile, highly political role at the heart of Whitehall and the IT industry.

Only last month Granger was singled out for praise by the Prime Minister Tony Blair as a prime example of the how the government will bring in more specialists to take on key public sector roles: ” The IT projects now underway in the NHS are among the biggest and most complex in the world – that’s why it was right, for example, to bring Richard Granger in to oversee IT in the National Health Service."

Mr Granger has shown that he can certainly deliver on procurement, having just successfully overseen the completion of the £5 billion procurement at breakneck speed. Delivering benefits and efficiency improvements from these new systems remains the greater challenge though, and it will be interesting to see whether Mr Granger sticks with the National Programme for IT to see through implementation beyond the initial delivery targets due from this summer.

See also:

Gershon advocates better IT use to free up skilled staff