The justice portfolio faces significant challenges in maintaining the delivery of key outcomes in the current economic climate. To meet these challenges, organisations must look to maximise their efficiency through new ways of working. The Coordinating IT and Management Information (CIMI) project is actively supporting work to increase cooperation and coordination between justice organisations.
Shared Services Workshop
The CIMI project is also looking at whether opportunities exist to share IT and information management services across criminal justice. On 31 May 2011, the Scottish Government hosted a workshop for justice partners to explore these issues in greater detail. Following wide ranging discussions, four key areas were identified as offering the best opportunity for further work:
- Shared support contracts
- Shared data centres/virtualisation
- Standard applications (particularly management information)
- Developing an expert resource pool
The outcomes from the day will inform the development of the Criminal Justice Data Management and Information Exchange strategy which will be produced later this year.
Framework Navigation Tool
During the workshop, Procurement Scotland advised the group about work they are doing to improve the coordination of public sector procurement and, in particular, the development of the Framework Navigation Tool. This tool allows public sector organisations to quickly identify whether there are existing procurement frameworks which may meet their needs thereby avoiding the expense of starting procurement processes which may be unnecessary.
Transforming Public Service Delivery
The work of the CIMI project sits within the wider context of innovation in public service delivery.
- In 2010, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth requested John McClelland CBE to carry out a detailed review of the use and strategic management of information and communications technology within the public sector in Scotland. This review was published on 21 June.
- In November 2010, the Scottish Government established a Commission to develop recommendations on the future delivery of public services in Scotland. The Commission, chaired by Dr Campbell Christie CBE and operating independently of government, published its report on 29 June 2011.