Remember me

Register

 | Home  | Contact us

Information technology key topics

Addressing key topics within the information technology sector.

IT-Enabled Business Change Projects

  • Current UK Government transformational projects are amongst the largest and most complex such projects ever undertaken.
  • These should not be considered as “IT projects” but as business change projects enabled by new information and communications technology.  Understanding this enables resources to be allocated correctly.  “IT” is typically only 20% of the cost so failing to plan and budget adequately for the other 80% (people, process and change issues) will usually guarantee project failure.
  • Regular, candid, communication between the senior responsible owner and the board level project sponsor is vital.
  • The availability of high quality skills in systems engineering, project management and business change is a key enabler.

Personal Identity and Identity Cards

  • The citizen should not be required to disclose more personal information than is necessary for a particular purpose.
  • For most purposes, policy should move away from proving identity and towards establishing authority to access or transact.  Proof of absolute identity is seldom really required, only entitlement as part of a group.  For example, a young person may need to prove they are over 18 to buy alcohol but not their name and other details.
  • Any business case involving identity management should give a clear statement of the intended benefits, how they are to be realised and how any risks to individuals are to be minimised.
  • It is essential that IT systems for proving identity are built using sound engineering principles.  Aspects such as security, dependability and acceptable failure rates should be specified at the outset.
  • Government needs to consider what forms of redress will be available for anyone whose identity is compromised.

Resilience and Robustness of Communications Networks that form part of the National Critical Infrastructure

  • Communications networks include both fixed and mobile systems. Their increasing interdependency and their dependency on other critical infrastructure, such as power, means that they are potentially liable to cascades of failure with very serious consequences.  This needs to be taken into account when considering their role.