Review of ICT Infrastructure in the Public Sector in Scotland

12 Proposed Strategic Principles

In developing a new set of strategies for ICT within the public sector in Scotland it is proposed that this work embraces the following strategic principles.

• Although "information management" is a core activity it is not essential to operate totally
  self-sufficient local information processing, support and development.
• The number of data centres and associated support should be minimised.
• The shared hosting of common applications delivers ICT savings and central and regional plans open up ICT and other shared business process service opportunities. The existing clusters of nearly common applications should be built upon by selecting the best single application implementation and associated business processes and then from there achieve a reconciling of and agreement on common business processes so that the number of separately hosted instances can be rationalised and reduced.
• A framework of oversight and governance for each part of the public sector and at an overarching national level is critical.
• Co-ordination of interaction with the ICT industry within each sector and at a national level is essential and will be beneficial.
• Relationships with suppliers should have a stronger partnership element.
• It should not be a given that investment in and ownership of ICT assets and capability such as systems development is the norm and all avenues including investment avoidance and transaction/usage based charging should be pursued.
• Citizen services and data should be seamless and integrated across public sector and should specially address the needs of the elderly, sick and other vulnerable groups which cross organisational boundaries.
• Most of the required ICT capability is specialised by sector yet there are vital national dimensions and cross-sector imperatives.
• Order of merit should be to first re-use, then buy and build only as a last resort. Existing initiatives and exemplars should be built upon and have their capabilities extended through free sharing with others.
• New technologies and concepts be pursued especially where they can reduce investment and support other efficiency and sustainability goals.
• The negative impacts of and positive opportunities from effective ICT on the environment should be addressed and pursued.