|
Transformational Government – Green Data-Sharing
The police now have all Mr Green’s computers. They must therefore have a lot of his private and confidential data. Shadow cabinet discussion papers, for example, perhaps general election campaign plans, and so on. Our government, as we know, abhor leaks. Let us hope that they will not be scandalised by receiving any from Scotland Yard. But government is going through a process of transformation at the moment. Motivated not least by concern for the environment and all matters green. We sometimes have trouble identifying examples of the success of this process. Here at last is a fine instance of transformational government. 38 years ago, Richard Nixon had to go to all the trouble of sending “plumbers” into the Watergate building. In our modern age, with Mr Speaker Martin controlling access, data-sharing has become much easier. The Speaker is, among other things, Gatekeeper at the Palace of Westminster. There are doubts about the competence of the Speaker and his staff to perform this role. How are those doubts to be allayed? To ask the question is instantly to see the solution. WIBBI* in future, the Speaker and his staff are licensed by the Security Industry Authority? How safely is the Damian Green evidence being stored by the police? And how efficiently? These are questions which need to be addressed by management consultants. The deep motive behind the Cabinet Office transformational government initiative is that public servants don’t know what they’re doing and should be replaced by computers. Following the Speaker’s review of the Damian Green case, we may look forward to transformational gatekeeping at the Palace of Westminster. But you do need a good firm of management consultants to tell you how to do the transforming. Which firm? The likely choice is between PA Consulting and Atos Origin. It is conceivable that either of these firms would recommend that evidence could be managed more securely and more efficiently if the function was outsourced. Perhaps to a transformational evidence management centre in Bangalore. But Iowa City is a long shot you might punt on.
* WIBBI = wouldn't it be better if David Moss has spent six years campaigning against the Home Office's ID card scheme.
|
|