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Building the Knowledge Society Information Society Commission 51Recommendation 18:Government needs to consider the introduction of specific measures to promote greatersocietal engagement with Internet technologies as a key element of overall strategiesdesigned to bring about greater engagement with these technologies in the enterprise sector.Recommendation 19:Where it is appropriate to the workplace, support and assistance should be provided throughthe National Training Fund for the development of an ICT training plan to include basiccomputer skills and for the encouragement of companies to undertake training by alternatemeans such as distance and online learning.eProcurementGovernment’s Strategy for the Implementation of eProcurement in the Irish Public Sector waspublished during 2001, along with establishment of the public sector procurement portal. 36The strategy itself captures a compelling business case: Based on a Government procurementspend of €8.8b in 2001, the potential savings to be generated through adopting the strategyamount to a cumulative total of €414m for the years 2002-2007, with additional savings of €177mper annum thereafter – representing a saving of approximately 2 percent on the total spend of€8.8b. It is also clear that the e-enablement of public procurement procedures has very significantpotential as a driver of wider engagement with e-business processes in the economy generally.However, the Commission is concerned that there is little evidence of progress in implementingthe strategy since initial establishment of the procurement portal. In a climate of tighteningbudgetary resources, Government needs to give careful consideration to the potential thatPublic Private Partnerships (PPPs) and other innovative arrangements might offer in realisingthe significant benefits that the e-procurement strategy can clearly deliver. For example inNorth Carolina in the US the State Government has engaged with a private sector partnerto build a fully functional e-procurement service that will be funded through a marketing feeof 1.75 percent charged to a suppliers. 37 In the UK, the IT procurement of central governmentis outsourced through the GCat initiative, supporting online catalogues and tenderingprocedures. 38Recommendation 20:The potential of the existing portal providing online information about public sectorprocurement opportunities should be developed quickly to support online catalogues,online tender management, and electronic ordering and payment. The process shouldbegin with the establishment of a national level pilot project, which should be progressedas a matter of priority.Recommendation 21:Government must explore the potential of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and similararrangements in driving forward its e-procurement strategy, building on innovative examplesof good practice available from experiences in other countries.36 http://www.etenders.gov.ie/37 http://eprocurement.ncgov.com38 http://www.gcat.gov.uk
52 Building the Knowledge Society Information Society Commission4.3\ eGovernmentThe Commission welcomes the commitment to the e-government process that is evident fromthe New Connections Action Plan – embracing both improved service delivery and the widerchallenges associated with the modernisation of business processes. It is clear that the applicationof information and communication technologies has significant potential to bring aboutsubstantial improvements in governance in the context of modernising government. However,it is equally important to recognise that the application of new technology is rarely a solutionin itself, and must be closely aligned with the management of cultural and organisationalchange, appropriately supported by the development of new skills and capacities.Service DeliveryThe Public Services Broker adopted by Government for electronic service delivery is widelyrecognised as representing international best practice – providing access through a single pointof contact, delivered through multiple access channels, and providing necessary protection forpersonal and business data. Government’s commitment that all key public services that arecapable of electronic delivery will be available through the Broker by 2005 must also bewelcomed in the context.However, the Commission is concerned that there is little evidence of substantial progressin establishing the Broker since the initiative was announced during 2000. A particularconcern is that the pace of progress in establishing common standards and specificationsclearly has the potential to undermine the progress that individual Departments andagencies can make in supporting the integrated, user-centred approach that underpinsthe overall e-government strategy.Recommendation 22:The pace of progress in establishing the Public Service Broker is cause for concern andneeds to be accelerated significantly.Recommendation 23:Government must ensure that common standards and specifications are put in place asquickly as possible that will enable the service delivery strategies of individual Departmentsand agencies to be aligned with the overarching objective of integrating service deliverythrough the Public Services Broker.eGovernanceInternational attention to the e-government area has tended to focus initially on thetransformation of the service delivery model. However there is increasing recognition ofthe far-reaching implications for background processes, and the potential of information andcommunications technologies to facilitate a transformation of the structures and operation ofthe public service. This includes the development of collaborative knowledge-based structures,as well as shared services – such as financial management or human resource managementsystems – that would operate across traditional boundaries.
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