Organisation outlines eight priorities for Cabinet Office action to fuel take-up of cloud services in government
The Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) has set up a special interest group (SIG) to deal with issues around using cloud services in the public sector, and called on the Cabinet Office to take action in response to a series of priorities.
The industry body for cloud service providers (CSPs) has said that ongoing austerity, the challenges of Brexit and the creation of a new government could lessen the momentum for the public sector to take up cloud services in their transformation efforts.
CIF said it wants to work in partnership with government to identify and remove barriers and blockers to digital and cloud solutions for transformative change to happen. This requires joined up thinking from the centre, and a demonstrable commitment to reach out to industry.
Procurement goals
The main goals of the SIG are to increase the volume of cloud services purchased through G-Cloud, make the procurement channel more transparent, and help vendors to match their services with the requirements of public sector buyers.
Its priorities for the Cabinet Office are to:
- Restate the commitment to a Cloud First policy and publish detailed cloud transition and IT sourcing plans for each department, so industry can respond and adapt their business and product strategies.
- Clarify how organisations can work in partnership with the industry, starting with the definition of a joint priority list of changes and improvements for the G-Cloud 10 framework.
- Work to provide clarity and guidance on how compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation will be achieved for existing and future G-Cloud contracts.
- Support and co-host events with industry that actively bring buyers and suppliers together, in ways that encourage the sharing of best practice and a better understanding of user needs.
- Define and jointly deliver a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and communications programme to encourage improvements in the buying process.
- Use case studies to demonstrate how the consumption of cloud services in government is generating economic growth.
- Maintain and publish up-to-date G-Cloud sales figures on a monthly basis.
- Nominate a representative to work with the SIG.
The group’s chair, Peter Middleton (pictured), said: “Without access to a vibrant, competitive and responsive marketplace of innovative products, services, and people with the right specialist digital skills, the public sector cannot hope to deliver this scale of transformation at the pace of change required.
“That is why I believe the ongoing success of the Digital Marketplace and GDS is fundamental, and why the Cabinet Office must work closely with industry to reinvigorate the vision and mission, and continue to be the game changing force for positive and rapid change that they have so far proved to be.”
