E-Government Unit
Encyclopedia
The e-Government Unit the largest unit of the Cabinet Office
of the government of the United Kingdom, is responsible for helping various government departments use information technology
to increase efficiency and improve electronic access to government services. It is therefore deeply involved in issues of e-Government.
It was created by Prime Minister Tony Blair
in September 2004, replacing the Office of the e-Envoy
.
Its first head was Ian Watmore
, who was succeeded in January 2006 by Andrew Stott.
The eGU website was closed down in 2007.
The eGU is responsible for
The eGU website lists 6 guiding principles for the unit:
Cabinet Office
The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....
of the government of the United Kingdom, is responsible for helping various government departments use information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
to increase efficiency and improve electronic access to government services. It is therefore deeply involved in issues of e-Government.
It was created by Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
in September 2004, replacing the Office of the e-Envoy
Office of the e-Envoy
The Office of the e-Envoy was set up by Tony Blair in 1999 and was replaced by the E-Government Unit in September 2004. A few senior members of the office joined gov3 an ICT consultancy firm for governments.The first e-Envoy was Alex Allan...
.
Its first head was Ian Watmore
Ian Watmore
Ian Watmore , is an English accountant and current civil servant.Born in Croydon, Surrey, he was schooled at Trinity School, Croydon and then graduated with a degree in mathematics and management studies from Trinity College, Cambridge...
, who was succeeded in January 2006 by Andrew Stott.
The eGU website was closed down in 2007.
Mission
The eGU’s stated mission is to "ensur[e] that IT supports the business transformation of Government itself so that we can provide better, more efficient, public services."The eGU is responsible for
- formulating information technologyInformation technologyInformation technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
(IT) strategy and policy - developing common IT components for use across government
- promoting best practices across government
- delivering citizen-centered online services
The eGU website lists 6 guiding principles for the unit:
- To work on public service projects, not just IT projects
- To add value and support, rather than control or dictate
- To undertake partnerships with departments and suppliers
- To set realistic expectations and aim to exceed them
- To promote global best practices
- To share solutions when possible, and offer flexibility to meet unique needs
Responsibilities
Responsibilities of the eGU include:- Strategy - To develop policy and planning for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) within the Government and to provide an element of programme managementProgram managementProgram management or programme management is the process of managing several related projects, often with the intention of improving an organization's performance...
; To support the Government's objectives for public service delivery and administrative efficiency. - Architecture - To provide policy, design, standards, governance, advice and guidance for ICT in central government; To commission government-wide infrastructure and services; To address issues of systems integration with other levels of government.
- Innovation - To provide high-level advice to government bodies on innovative opportunities that come from ICT.
- IT Finance - To monitor major IT projects in the Government and give advice on major investment decisions (in partnership with the Office of Government Commerce (OGC)).
- IT HRHuman resourcesHuman resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
- To lead the Government’s professional IT development. - Projects - To take on ad hoc policy and strategy studies to support ministers, the Prime Minister's Office, the Cabinet Office and the Treasury.
- Research - To identify and communicate key technology trends, opportunities, threats and risks.
- Security - To oversee government IT security policy, standards, monitoring and assurance, and contingency-planning for the critical national infrastructure.
- Supplier management - To manage the top-level relationship with strategic suppliers to the Government and to carry out supplier analysis (in partnership with OGC).