19 January 2007

The government should not hold back from being ambitious with its IT strategies in the coming years, according to the MP responsible for e-government.

Pat McFadden, parliamentary secretary, told delegates at the e-Government National Awards that "national defeatism" regarding the government's IT plans should not be allowed to proliferate.

He stated that creative people working to develop e-government should not be afraid to put their ideas forward, even if some people say it might not work – otherwise an "appalling national judgement" could result, stifling e-government development.

"What the government is doing is asking whether we can do a better job for people, at critical moments in their lives, by making sure that one part of government talks to another when dealing with related issues," Mr McFadden remarked.

If things do go wrong with government IT projects, lessons should be learnt – although it would be wrong to say that this would be the case with "all government investment in technology", he concluded.

Among the winners at the e-Government National Awards were the Department for Education and Skills' Connexions Direct website, Transport Direct and the London Borough of Waltham Forest.

© Adfero Ltd

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