Public sector and IT outsourcing: need to address the disconnect

“In many ways, there is complete disconnect, between what we want to do as the Department [of Work and Pensions] and what the outsourcers that come and see us want to do for us,” highlighted James Gartner, CTO at the Department of Work and Pensions during the NOA’s end-user event and summer party.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is one of the largest IT outsourcers in Europe, it spends £185bn in benefits and pensions delivery and with an aging population, the sum is only likely to grow.

During his brief presentation Gardner stressed that, “What [the DWP is] trying to do from a society perspective is bring people out of poverty. To find them new work outcomes to make sure they are not stuck in a poverty trap.”

Gardner indicated that the DWP spends a fraction (0.004%) of that £185bn in technology and that what he wants from suppliers is the innovation and the tools required to address the problems faced by a public sector faced with the deepest cuts in a generation.

Gardner was one of six speakers at the NOA end-user event and summer party, which took place at the HoganLovells offices last week. The other speakers included: Michael Stock from the BBC, Sarah Manning from BT, Kevin Devoy from Centrica, Ian McDonald from Symbian and Andy Beale from the Guardian Media Group.

To view James Gardner presentation here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lJK0hf-90M.