Here’s how to change government IT

Government IT is a bit like the weather in that everybody complains about it but relatively few do anything about it. I find myself betwixt and between on the this huge, complex subject. Yes, there have certainly been some catastrophic failures but I’m suspicious of suggestions that the private sector has some magic powders unavailable to the dullards and jobsworths of the public sector. (And since you ask, yes, this fence is a bit uncomfortable.)

It seems to me that debate about the vexed subject of state IT has become rather shrill and even hysterical at times with pundits projecting their political and other prejudices rather than addressing causes.

Maybe it’s time for a bit of crowdsourcing. The Centre For Policy Research seems to think so and has set up the IdealGovernment Wiki accordingly, with a competition to come up with the best ideas to get UK IT on the front foot.

If you’ve ever so much as set yourself up as the pub pundit on how our taxes get invested in software, hardware and services, go there. Your country needs you.