The Scottish Government has published its review of Information and Communication Technology in the public sector. The public sector spends about £1.4billion a year on ICT including £250million on 6200 staff. The review was led by John McLelland CBE who also undertook an earlier review of procurement in Scotland’s public sector. His recommendations are aimed at delivering financial savings and using new technology to improve quality and access to public services. It states that it should be standard to access all public services on-line and ICT should support more integration across different sectors (more shared services).This briefing gives an overview of the report and the impact it may have on UNISON members.

John Swinney set this review of the strategic management of investment in the public sector in Scotland on ICT to get improved value for money, support multi-agency working and shared services and to

Set out a future vision for ICT infrastructure in public services

Engage across the public sector at senior level to establish what we have in place, what we should ideally have and how to bridge the gap

Identify key issues and "quick wins"

Make proposals for change comparing the present position to the identified future state

Address issues of governance and current ways of working having due regard to efficiency, economy and effectiveness and any existing investment plans

The government should

Develop a new five-year strategy for each separate part of the public sector with the model moving from local self sufficiency to sharing within each sector.

Develop an overarching IT strategy to address national imperatives and incorporate the sector strategies called for above

Set up a ICT Futures Board chaired by the Cabinet Secretary to ensure oversight and governance and a group or board in each sector of the public sector to oversee, develop and implement the ICT strategy for that sector

the boards should then embark on a major programme to transform the progress of ICT at all levels.

A high level ICT architecture needs to be developed to act as a blueprint for the final vision. It should build on the best practice where sharing is prevalent in the public sector.

He calls for

As well as setting up the National Oversight Board and the Sector Oversight boards the report recommends that the Improvement Service, Procurement Centres and IT councils should have an important role in taking his recommendations forward. The report also calls for the use of external specialised skills and that "ICT industry experience may be essential". The report emphasises the need to move forwards as quickly as possible and that

Pending high value conflicting decisions be suspended or amended

That the membership and remit of the industry advisory board are set up by the same date

The latest Audit Office report on IT in the NHS calls it a costly failure with £2.7billion already spend and billions more to follow. This is the latest in a long run of high cost projects. What gets less coverage is that is the private contractors who fail to deliver the savings promised: in this case CSC and BT Health. UNISON is therefore surprised that this report calls for more private sector "expertise".

The report is recommending substantial changes and that these changes happen very quickly. It will alter or stop many plans that PSOs are currently making for ICT (including the Clyde Valley Review). It will have implications for all services and therefore members. It will also impact directly and quickly on the jobs 6200 people working in ICT in the public sector.

raise this report with employers to get details of the implications for their workplaces

o which projects will be put on hold/cancelled?

o will this lead to job cuts/staff transfers?

o What are the new plans?

map the ICT workforce and ensure members in this area have the support they need.

inform all members of implications of the changes

this will be an opportunity to recruit so share information with all staff

inform their Regional Organiser of plans and any changes to current projects

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/goinggetstough/index.html

http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/briefings/100611Bargainingbriefingsharedservices.pdf

Dave Watson

d.watson@unison.co.uk

Kay Sillars

k.sillars@unison.co.uk

0141 342 2811

0845 355 0845