Public sector network: case studies of a major shared service

Produced by: Socitm Insight

Type: Reports

This report advises subscribers on the lessons learnt from implementing sub-regional networks that are PSN-ready, including not only the pitfalls to avoid, but also the best practice techniques. It provides important pointers to handling the politics, both party and organisational.

1. Introduction

The previous Labour government predicated £3.2 billion of savings from G-Cloud, the set of services to be delivered across the public sector network (PSN). Unsurprisingly, the programme has passed the scrutiny of the government's review of major ICT projects. How will public sector organisations commission and implement local networks, then aggregate them into a cohesive whole?

2. PSN and other public networks

The PSN is not the first attempt to join up multiple public organisations through a secure network that is private to the sector. We explain what the PSN concept is, and place it in the context of other networks.

3. Hampshire PSN (HPSN 2)

HSPN2 stems from a long heritage of shared networking in the Hampshire sub-region. We look briefly at the local history before describing the latest initiative and how it developed from previous work.

4. Kent PSN

The Kent PSN was the first English shared network to connect to the GCSx, and has a strong governance structure. It provides another model for sub-regional PSNs elsewhere.

5 Implications of PSN as a shared service

The PSN is a public shared service. Looking beyond the immediate connectivity and economic benefits of the PSN, the initiative looks likely to change fundamentally the shape of public sector ICT. What will the facility look like, and what will be the impact on ICT and another services?

6. Conclusions

The numbers of practical implementations of shared services have failed to meet expectations. The PSN is largely out of the immediate political focus, but as a shared service runs similar risks. Furthermore, the PSN is just an infrastructure, yet it is a precursor for radical change in public services. How will your organisation design its response?

Public sector network services price list

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Last modified: 20th July 2011