Surveying 1,104 officials in April-May, CSW asked which of the actions set out in the IT Strategy in March 2011 has made a “significant contribution”. Some 41.1 per cent replied that none have yet done so, whilst 30.9 per cent said they didn’t know – leaving less than 30 per cent naming areas of progress (see graph). Scepticism was higher still among IT and policymaking professionals, of whom 45 and 48 per cent respectively said that none have yet done so.
James Johns, director of strategy, UK public sector, at HP – with which CSW ran the survey – said the bare figures don’t “tell the full story” because “it’s probably a bit too early for [strategy actions] to have had a tangible impact across every contract”. He pointed to the Government Digital Service as an area of “really interesting and impactful work.”
A Cabinet Office spokesman said ICT reforms and spending controls saved the taxpayer £316m in 2011-12.