Socitm welcomes McClelland Review into ICT infrastructure in Scotland

The Review, led by John McClelland, chair of the Scottish Funding Council, recommends an overarching Scottish Public Sector ICT strategy to address national needs and says that public sector organisations should move away from the prevalent model of 'standalone self-sufficiency' in which nearly all organisations have fully and professionally staffed information functions and most have their own data centres.

The review also concludes that spending on ICT could be reduced by implementing changes in management, structures and strategy. Savings could then be partially reinvested in a faster adoption of technology, including, for example, faster adoption of online services for citizens and businesses.

These findings and recommendations have much in common with those set out in Planting the Flag, the strategy for local public service reform published by Socitm in May. The next stage of this strategy, Planning the Route is underway and in this will have specific emphasis on practical involvement from Scotland.

The Review process in Scotland aims to complete individual and national new strategies by the end of September 2011, commence new procurement and technical plans in October, and agree new strategies and future ICT budgets by the end of November.

Socitm also welcomes the recognition in the McClelland Review of the importance of benchmarking as a means to identify improvement opportunities, and its explicit mention of Socitm's work in this area as 'an outstanding example' and Socitm's adeptness at 'developing and conducting benchmarking exercises within the local authority sector within the UK.'

Socitm Scotland will be running a conference for the public sector on 22 September in Edinburgh where John McClelland will be speaking. The major focus will be on the Review and its implementation.

View the press release