8 To operate the partnership effectively and to contribute to strategic issues senior staff in the Department need to maintain an independent knowledge of current developments in information systems and information technology. This knowledge depends on key individuals building and maintaining a network of contacts, reading relevant technical publications, attending events and seminars, visiting suppliers and other organisations, as well as purchasing market reports and analyses from specialist information technology research organisations. The Department's framework for staff development has helped to ensure that these activities take place and the Inland Revenue is widely regarded as a source of information on the successful management of information technology outsourcing.
9 There has been very low staff turnover in some small technical units in the Department critical to the operation of the partnership and to the award of new work, resulting in a concentration of skills and knowledge in a small number of people. This had some advantages in the early stages of the contract, but it is important for the Department to have the human resources to remain an intelligent customer and to have a sufficiently large pool of trained information technology staff to secure a reasonable rotation for career development and skill enhancement, as well as to be able to fill vacancies if experienced people leave the Department.
10 Recommendations to the Department on the maintenance and development of skills include:
■ reviewing the role of the specialist Information Technology Technical Unit to ensure that its important work on strategic information technology issues is not put at risk by increasing involvement in the detail of projects; and
■ improving succession planning and increasing the rotation of staff in specialist units working in partnership with EDS.