Intellect aims to broaden government's IT outlook

The IT industry association has launched a plan to improve government's understandings of the options in the technology market, writes Mark Say

The government has been open about its shortcomings in IT skills. In recent weeks we've seen the publication of the National Audit Office Snapshot of the Government IT Profession , in which Whitehall chief information officers acknowledge a skills gap, and the Government ICT Capability Strategy , which is aimed at closing the gap.

The leaders of the IT industry association Intellect believe this often involves an incomplete understanding of what technology can do for public services, and is responding with its own initiative. It has the Cabinet Office's blessing in the form of a formal launch at today's Crown and Suppliers conference.

Sureyya Cansoy, Intellect's director, public sector, says it is addressing a big gap in understanding in some areas.

"Government does not always know of all the capabilities that exist and who all the players are," she says. "They don't always have an accurate picture, and often I don't think they understand the small and medium companies."

She explains the initiative, titled Better access to the tech market and better skills for government, as an effort to help government improve its understanding.

"Government is going to great lengths to maximise the potential of technology for public services," she says. "As the industry association we wanted to do our bit to maximise the progress, and see there's a role for us in helping government to reach out to the technology market.

"We had discussions with our chief colleagues in government to see where we could add most value. The initiative is around the pragmatic and practical things that they would find most useful."

It has two main thrusts: market access and skills and capability support. Cansoy says the first is about helping government make more of its access to the technology market, and involves four initiatives. One is named Market Radar, and will involve creating a map of existing capabilities in the market - basically a guide to who can offer different technologies. It will be open to non-members of Intellect and should cater for frequent changes, hopefully on the basis of companies adding their own details. Cansoy says there could be as many as 2,000 as a starting point, and that it should provide a useful tool for small and medium enterprises to let government know what they can do.

The second is Market Dialogue, aimed at getting government talking to a wider range of technology companies. It will make use of existing initiatives - Concept Viability, in which the firms can advise government on if and how an idea can be fulfilled, and Innovation Den, which gives firms a 20 minute spot to present themselves to government buyers and potential industry partners - and involve new efforts. These will include a technology showcase to give government a clear view of what is coming onto the market.

"We feel there needs to be a way for government and industry to talk to each other before they come to the concept point," Cansoy says. "There may be things we can do to encourage that dialogue."

Third is Market Collaboration, which is aimed at helping companies work with each other more effectively in providing technology to government. Its main feature will be a partnering portal designed to help companies explore potential partnerships with others larger or smaller than themselves. This could be important to those who see how they could make a contribution to a government project without being able to take it on as a whole.

Fourth is Skills and Capability, which Cansoy says reflects the thrust of the Government ICT Capability Strategy.

"We will support the capability strategy quite actively, but there are also pragmatic things we can do," she says. "One is an initiative called Bringing Tec to Life for the Civil Service, which will include features such as free places on Intellect training courses, shadowing opportunities in our member companies, and a scheme for industry mentors.

"The second is Talent Swap. This should complement the Government/Industry Interchange Programme with a talent matching service, so that companies can find people from the civil service or offer their own employees for fixed term work."

She adds that Intellect is aiming to be as inclusive as possible in the initiatives, and that while some may be limited to its members it wants to make as many as possible open to companies that are not under its umbrella. The example of Concept Viability, in which non-members are allowed to take part, provides some credibility for the intention.

It is also being very ambitious with its timeframe, aiming to have all of this in place by March of next year. "We are fully aware that government wants change to happen very quickly, so we will try to match that ambition," Casoy says. "I think that will be very beneficial, not just for our government colleagues but for technology companies as well."

She adds that the ultimate objective is a more diverse and dynamic technology marketplace for government. In the past there have been criticisms, notably from some Conservatives before the last election, that it has been too cosy with a few big suppliers and not the got the best out of the industry as a whole. It would take more than the Intellect plan alone to overcome this - it has as much to do with cultural issues in Whitehall and the heritage of past procurements as knowledge of the market - but it does have the potential to widen the technology outlook of those who influence the spending decisions.