Ex-government CIO drafted into Efficiency and Reform group

Nicola Brittain, Computing, Thursday 1 July 2010 at 16:32:00

Ian Watmore's appointment emphasises role of IT in finding efficiencies

Former government CIO Ian Watmore has been drafted into the cabinet-based
Efficiency and Reform group. He will take on the role of chief operating officer
and has been appointed at a permanent secretary level.

Arguably the appointment reflects the coalition?s drive to find cost savings
from better use of IT and follows
its
Cabinet Office Structural Reform plan last week which set out ways to
reduce annual spend on IT.

Watmore will work closely with senior minister Francis Maude and Danny
Alexander, chief secretary to the Treasury, to co-ordinate the approach to
tackling waste and improving accountability across government departments.

The Efficiency and Reform group is tasked with finding efficiencies in IT,
procurement, project management, property and HR.

Watmore first joined the Cabinet Office as government CIO in 2004, and then
spent time as permanent secretary of the Department of Innovation, Universities
and Skills.

Watmore was quoted in public sector newswire Kable as saying: "I believe that
the Efficiency and Reform group has a key role to play in securing value for
money. By looking at innovative new ways of working we can make government more
efficient and effective, as well as improving the delivery of public services."

Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2265816/cio-drafted-efficiency-reform