Accenture boss is new head of e-Government

The Government has appointed Ian Watmore, the UK Managing Director of the global management consultants and technology services company Accenture, as the new Head of e-Government.

Ian Watmore will be accountable to Douglas Alexander, Minister for the Cabinet Office, and report to Sir Andrew Turnbull, Cabinet Secretary.

Ian is a past President of the Management Consultants Association, chairs the IT Industry Board of eSkills UK (the Sector Skills Council for IT and Telecommunications) and represents Accenture on various external bodies such as the Council for Industry and Higher Education and Business in the Community.

In a personal capacity he is on the Board of the English Institute for Sport, a Lottery funded institute focused on serving high performance athletes in preparation for Olympic and other major sporting events.

Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said: "I am delighted that Ian Watmore is to take up this role. He will be playing a pivotal role ensuring that IT supports the business transformation of Government itself so that we can provide better, more efficient, public services."

Ian Watmore said: "The Head of e-Government is one of the biggest and most challenging IT positions in the UK today. Douglas Alexander and Sir Andrew Turnbull have set a formidable challenge in not only driving up use of Government services online but also driving change, reform and efficiencies throughout the public sector by using IT. I'm looking forward to starting in the position and supporting all the work that Departments are delivering."

The major part of the Office of the e-Envoy will start its transition into the e-Government Unit from Wednesday 2 June in preparation for Ian Watmore taking up the post in September. Specific responsibilities of the e-Government Unit will be:

• strategy: developing policy and planning for ICT within Government and providing an element of programme management for implementation, to support the Government's objectives for public service delivery and administrative efficiency.
  
• architecture: providing policy, design, standards, governance, advice and guidance for ICT in Central Government; commissioning Government-wide infrastructure and services; and addressing issues of systems integration with other levels of government (e.g. EU, Devolved and Local).
  
• innovation: providing high-level advice to Government bodies on innovative opportunities arising from ICT to improve efficiency.
  
• IT Finance: in partnership with OGC, monitoring major IT projects in Government and advising on major investment decisions.
  
• IT HR: Head of the IT Profession in Government and leading its professional development.
  
• projects: undertaking ad hoc policy and strategy studies as necessary to support Ministers, the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Office or the Treasury.
  
• research: identifying and communicating key technology trends, opportunities, threats and risks for Government.
  
• security: overseeing Government IT security policy, standards, monitoring and assurance, and contingency planning for the critical national infrastructure (the functions of the Central Sponsor for Information Assurance, a responsibility of the current e-Envoy).
  
• supplier management: in partnership with OGC, managing the top-level relationship with strategic suppliers to Government and conducting supplier analysis.