WRITTEN ON November 2nd, 2005 BY William Heath AND STORED IN Transformational Government
Tomorrow Wed 2 November sees the launch of the Cabinet Office plan Transformational Government, which hitherto we’ve thought of as the EGU’s emerging Government IT Strategy.
I haven’t seen it yet – so much for my street cred as a well-informed insider…why does Mike Cross get all the brown envelopes? But I expect it’ll set the top-level tone for government’s CIOs on general professionalism and specifics like information assurance, shared services, data sharing and identity. There are thorny issues which need decisions.
This should be pretty seminal stuff for all of us who want better e-enabled public services, and I hope we can have some trenchant analysis on Ideal Government. I’m secretly hoping that Cabinet Office Minister Jim Murphy may join the discussion; he’s asked for author access, which is a good sign.
I may be wrong but if he takes the plunge it may be the first time a serving UK Minister has blogged. If so, it’s very much to be encouraged, I reckon. Just the sort of thing we want to use the Net for.
No change in our house rules that have served fine for a year – see below. I hope this works – there’s quite a lot to be said in this discussion, and a few other discussions it would also be well worth having.
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3 Responses to “Let’s discuss the Strategy for Transformational Government”
Thank you Cayce. I walk a bit, but that’s my private matter. However, re-engineering government so it provides better services, costs less, and we get back to trusting it more involves rather more than my decision not to use the car this morning. It involves changing patterns in how public money is spent, and tackling human and bureaucratic inertia that has accrued over many decades and which always seems set to outlive any Administration.
So let’s read the plan and say what we think. Scepticism is fine. But I find it feels better if you spell out what you actually want (if anything), along the lines “Wouldnt it be better if…”
I want better services, lower tax, and restored trust in the state based on opennes, accountability and repsect for my dignity and rights. Now I’d better rad that new plan and see if i think that’s what it delivers!
Fantastic to see this strategy and the minister online.
In general, this is a major step forward and really shows IT in government coming of age – this si about change and citizens, not technology. The long term view and realistic timeframe also give one confidence.
I have three related questions:
1. Does Tony Blair understand the fundamental political and managerial implications of this? Process cannot be reformed and sdervices made citizen-centric without a root and branch re-engineerign of the entire public services. This means ministries, agencies and the relationship between central and local government being radically altered.
2. The customer group directors are a major innovation and seem key to making this work. But what budgets and power will they have? Who will resolve the myriad turf wars?
3. Without a fully engaged cabinet minister driving this, with full Blair-Brown backing, there will not be “fundamentally different ways of delivering public services”. Is such an appointment envisaged?
On a more serious note, good to see (on page 4) that “modern governemnt .. relies on accurate and timely information about .. animals” (amongst others)!
I couldn’t be more excited by the Strategy for Transformational Government. I bet it wil be every bit as good as the Strategy for Walking, which I believe is still in force. Could you find a pie chart somewhere to show us just how much more walking has been going on, to ive us confidence in just how much government is going to be transformed?