It was with great regret that we reported last Monday that the interim Government CIO Michael McGrath had resigned his position.
One reason that this was particularly disappointing was as TechPro was going out the door this month, its lead news story was an extensive interview with McGrath where he talked about the first phases of implementation of the Public Service ICT Strategy.
The interview is still of some value, as it gives an insight into the first steps of implementation, areas of focus, and the general position of the strategy, but it is no doubt coloured by McGrath’s departure.
However, it is a far greater disappointment that McGrath is gone at all.
“A good implementation plan should be executable by anybody who understands it fully”
In a previous editorial, I praised the Public Service ICT Strategy document authored by McGrath’s office, as it stood up far better and gave greater detail than similar strategy documents in the recent past, and so augured well for the future.
McGrath was not only capable, through his years in the private sector, but also pragmatic about the challenges of both acceptance and implementation. Consequently, he seemed to be the person for the job. Each time I met him I asked about that annoying little prefix to his title, ‘interim’, and when it would be rightly removed. Each time he seemed to take it in good humour and say that it was not his decision to make. Perhaps that wasn’t entirely the case.
Anyway, what chance now for the much vaunted Public Sector ICT Strategy?
Well, in the opinion of this hack, it doesn’t look good.
First of all, without someone of McGrath’s vision, drive and capability to spearhead it, it is likely to lose momentum. That said, a good implementation plan should be executable by anybody who understands it fully, and so, another champion may emerge.
Probably worse is the fact that, despite being some 10 or so months away at best guess, the country is already on a general election footing and so the appointment of a Government CIO is likely to be quite far down the agenda for our current overlords.
Given the fact that the first GCIO resigned in late 2013, and an interim was only appointed in March of 2014, for a six month period that became 13, there isn’t a great record of prioritisation for this important role.
This sad fact is a travesty. One of the key strengths of our current economy, and a central plank of its recovery, has been the tech sector, both in terms of indigenous and the multinational companies. A Government CIO demonstrates the recognition of this fact and reassures the tech sector, both inwardly and outwardly, of that central importance. To leave the position open belies a laissez-faire attitude not only to our own public sector ICT, but also to the sector as whole.
This may become ever more important as we wake this morning to the near certainty of another Tory-led government in the UK, our biggest and most important trading partner, that will no doubt lead to the delivery on the promise for a referendum on EU membership.
It has already been predicted that a UK exit from the EU, or ‘Brexit’ as the wags have dubbed it, could lead to permanent 1.1% fall in Irish GDP by the year 2030.
But worse still is how it looks that another respected and capable person has left the post of GCIO after a brief period, albeit ‘interim’, tenure. Irrespective of the previous holders’ motives for leaving, it just looks bad. How does one go about recruiting into what may now be perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a poison chalice?
So here is a prediction that needs not a crystal ball nor scrying bowl — the post will lie open till after the general election with perhaps a token appointee at best before then, and the strategy will trundle along before petering out as first milestones are met, momentum lost and implementation stalls.
I wish it would be different, but alas, I fear not.
Either way, we wish Michael McGrath all the very best in whatever path he pursues, safe in the knowledge that a person of his stature will not be idle any longer than he so desires.
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