Public Accounts Commitee lambasts Government ICT Strategy

The influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has criticised the Government ICT Strategy for being hugely ambitious and overly simplistic.

Margaret Hodge, chair of the committee, said that a simple listing of objectives is not good enough, and that there is a lack of detail relating to cyber security.

"We have serious concerns about the strategy. It lacks detail about the government's approach to cyber security, which is worrying given the drive for more government services to move online," said the PAC report.

"[The] Efficiency and Reform Group should clarify in its implementation plan how cyber security will be integrated into its strategy for ICT."

The Committee also stated that the government's plan to deliver 30 actions in two years is too ambitious, and that the lack of "quantitative targets or a baseline of current performance" will make it difficult to measure the impact of the project.

The report warned that the Cabinet Office will not be able to deliver the strategy alone, and that success will depend on the continued adoption of technology and a cultural shift to encourage different ways of working in the Civil Service.

"Successful implementation relies on its new principles being adopted across the government ICT and supplier communities, and by chief information officers and policy makers in the wider Civil Service," the report stated.

Despite criticism about the lack of detail, Hodge did welcome the change in approach to from traditional IT projects.

"ICT-enabled projects have been too big and too ambitious and we welcome the move towards smaller, more iterative projects," she said.

The Government ICT Strategy was announced in January 2010 and was expected to lead to savings of £3.2bn annually by 2013/14.

The Cabinet Office is due to publish an implementation plan next month.

The PAC recommended that this should "include a small number of measurable business outcomes" so that the PAC and the government can better assess whether it is delivering value for money.