ABSTRACT
It needs no emphasis here that the information technology (IT) revolution has impacted on all areas of society, and the public sector is no exception to this. It has been estimated, recently, that the public sector as a whole spends around £2 billion a year on IT, and this is likely to increase substantially each year in real terms. This chapter aims to look at the tasks associated with the management of IT resources. As well as considering issues such as the reasons why PSOs have traditionally invested in IT, the chapter will look ahead to the pivotal role IT will have in PSOs in years to come. This role will involve a substantial change away from the traditional support role to a role where IT is one of the key means of actual service delivery in the public sector. Hence, IT is likely to radically transform the organization, working methods and means of service delivery in PSOs.
