Digitising government services will not be achieved in a single step, according to Bridget Fleetwood , a technology sourcing lawyer from Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com.
Fleetwood was commenting after the body leading digital transformation within the UK government, the Government Digital Service (GDS), was criticised in a new report from the consultancy firm BDO.
BDO's report flagged "a risk" that GDS "could become an inefficient organisation removed from the efficiency drivers of the market" because of the "monopoly position" it has within the government ICT market and because departments are "compelled" to turn to it for advice.
Jack Perschke, director of central government at BDO, questioned whether "a monolithic GDS of 600 people, with all the vested interests and perverse incentives that brings, [can] really sit at the heart of a digital revolution".
Fleetwood said: "GDS is grappling with the challenge of co-ordinating central government ICT procurements to unlock efficiencies and innovation – and this includes the 'Government as a Platform' initiative. Moving from a legacy ICT service is not always achievable in one step, particularly where departments are not operating in a greenfield commercial landscape and where the department’s requirements are genuinely complex."
"For many departments, therefore, the move away from silo deals, with legacy systems, will continue to be incremental – and, as always, will need to be backed up by a robust and defensible business case," she said.
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