Public sector reform: Smarter Government by IBM
Friday, August 19th, 2011Kevin McGowan, IBM Public Sector Lead in Ireland, speaks to eolas about smarter government and which areas of the public sector reform could deliver the most benefits. IBM has seen, both globally and locally, that all governments have been challenged by the financial crisis of recent times. The challenge to do ‘more for less’, emerged in 2008 with the financial crisis and has become much more acute for governments since the debt crises of mid- 2010. “When we look at our global government clients, the pressure is not just on reducing the deficit in terms of its absolute percentage...[full story]
Public sector reform: Cloud computing in government?
Friday, August 19th, 2011Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton has established a cross-government implementation taskforce on cloud computing. The new Government has highlighted the economic benefits of Ireland embracing cloud computing technology since it came into office. Cloud computing, which permits individuals or organisations to have computer data stored, backed-up and secured remotely, was highlighted in its Programme for Government, with a commitment to make Ireland a leader in the emerging IT market of cloud computing “by promoting greater use of cloud computing in the public sector,” and “organising...[full story]
Public sector reform: The Department of Social Protection’s Niall Barry
Friday, August 19th, 2011Innovation is very much at the heart of the Department of Social Protection’s role, Niall Barry, its Assistant Secretary of Information Systems, has told an eolas innovation conference. “We all have responsibilities as managers to innovate, we have the responsibility as managers to create the space for workers to innovate, and we have the responsibility as workers to play our part in innovation. It isn’t a case of sitting back and waiting for leadership to innovate for you,” Niall Barry says, explaining the transformation programme his own department has undertaken in recent...[full story]
Public sector reform: Transforming service delivery through technology
Friday, August 19th, 2011eolas highlights some of the technology being used by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as discussed by Michael Bunyan, Director of Information Management and Technology. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (soon to be agriculture, food and marine) recognises that “IT is going to be a significant driving factor in creating efficiencies in the coming years.” That’s according to IT Director Michael Bunyan, who spoke at an eolas ‘Innovation in public services seminar’ in April. The Croke Park Agreement highlighted the important role IT will play...[full story]
Public sector reform: Charles Leadbeater on public sector innovation
Friday, August 19th, 2011Innovation expert Charles Leadbeater discusses public sector innovation with Owen McQuade. Innovation is “not just about things like iPads”, Charles Leadbeater contends. Instead, it is an important concept that many organisations are not exploring thoroughly. The public sector in particular needs to innovate, according to Leadbeater. However, too often, innovative ideas get trapped in “pockets” and “then get translated into policy at national scale, too fast.” Innovation expert Charles Leadbeater has been a senior adviser to UK governments, advising Downing Street’s policy...[full story]
ICT: Cloud computing: Ireland’s opportunity
Friday, May 13th, 2011Emma Blee looks at a new report which finds that Ireland has the potential to capture a huge share of the cloud computing industry if it moves quickly. Cashing in on cloud computing has the potential to create 8,600 new jobs in Ireland and reach €9.5 billion of sales by 2014. This was the main finding of ‘Ireland’s competitiveness and jobs opportunity: cloud computing’, an economic impact study prepared for Microsoft by Goodbody Economic Consultants, which says Ireland should move quickly to establish a global cloud computing centre of excellence. The main benefit of cloud computing...[full story]
ICT: Social media in health
Friday, May 13th, 2011Social media can connect hospitals and the communities they serve. Paul McGarrity reviews how American hospitals are using the internet creatively in their work. “I am Haitian” reads the sign held high by Dr Sharon Henry from the University of Maryland Medical Center. The photo features prominently on the MD4Haiti site set up to share information supporting the post-Haiti earthquake medical operation. MD4Haiti captures the essence of how hospitals and the wider health community are using social media to communicate more effectively online. So why are hospitals throughout the US –...[full story]
Economy: Inward investment: the key to recovery
Thursday, March 31st, 2011Economist Alan Gray explains why foreign investment will be the basis for Ireland’s economic recovery and outlines key areas of strength. Ireland’s economy faces a critical decade to restore economic growth and to refocus away from the damaging transitory absorption with property. Given the scale of the challenges facing the Irish and European economies and the policy errors made in other areas, Ireland must now build a sustainable platform for growth. Despite the dramatic post-crisis developments in the Irish economy, which have seen an escalation in Irish public debt and the related...[full story]
ICT: Doing business on facebook
Thursday, March 31st, 2011With around 600 million people signed up to facebook, accessing a target audience’s personal information has never been easier for businesses. Emma Blee talks to Dr Theo Lynn about the use of the social networking site as a marketing tool. Almost half of the internet’s entire population logged on to facebook in 2009 and around 1.7 million Irish people have now signed up. The site started out as a personal profile page for friends to keep in contact but with a surge in the amount of personal information being uploaded, businesses are finding it hard to resist tapping into the data. There...[full story]
ICT: Shared services in government
Thursday, March 31st, 2011eolas considers what the public sector can learn from business and the North. Shared services, including outsourcing, are likely to become a common feature in the public sector following the Programme for Government’s pledge to merge back office operations. This follows on from success in the private sector (over 100 centres in Ireland employing 35,000 people) and reform programmes in the UK. The programme commits ministers to “go beyond” An Bord Snip Nua’s recommendation for shared ICT services. The concept will also be rolled out in human resource management, payments and entitlement...[full story]
