Comments on: Government IT spend: Jerry’s killer graph http://idealgovernment.com/2009/08/government_it_spend_jerrys_killer_graph/ What do we want from Internet-age government? Wouldn't it be better if... Wed, 14 May 2014 08:35:11 +0000 hourly 1 By: Jerry http://idealgovernment.com/2009/08/government_it_spend_jerrys_killer_graph/comment-page-1/#comment-2846 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:44:46 +0000 http://government_it_spend_jerrys_killer_graph#comment-2846 The figures are from the ONS publication “Total Public Service and Productivity” Figure 1.2
Total public service output, inputs and productivity estimates, 1997-2007
United Kingdom Percentage Change from 1997. Available online at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/articles/nojournal/TotalPublicServiceFinalv5.pdf.

As to ICT spend, it rarely seems to be anything other than additive or to automate existing poor practice. So-called “e-channels” and “e-services” have been an additional overhead without a consequential reduction elsewhere. They have not generally been used to help rethink and improve the design of public services, or to reduce mid- and back-office headcount. In some areas, additional headcount has actually resulted from the need to service the “new e-channels”.

]]> By: Steph http://idealgovernment.com/2009/08/government_it_spend_jerrys_killer_graph/comment-page-1/#comment-2847 Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:36:09 +0000 http://government_it_spend_jerrys_killer_graph#comment-2847 Interesting – what’s the measure of productivity in this case? Was the IT spend in this calculation aimed at improving staff productivity, or some other output e.g. reducing total staff costs, increasing customer satisfaction etc?

I’m not quite clear what the scale on the left is – is it a rate of change?

It’s quite possible that your interpretation is spot on, but I’m not quite clear that this chart shows it.

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