Glossary of terms

Economy

Minimising the cost of resources used for an activity having regard to appropriate quality.

Effectiveness

The extent to which objectives have been achieved and the relationship between the intended impacts and the actual impacts of an activity.

Efficiency

The relationship between outputs, in terms of goods, services and other results, and the resources used to produce them.

Function point

A measure of the size of a software system.

Information systems

The processes for carrying out an organisation's business transactions - these may be manual, computer based or a combination of the two.

Information technology

The equipment needed to run computer based information systems, for example mainframe and personal computers, terminals, printers and cabling.

Lifecycle costs

Gross cost of a project over its economical life - normally seven years but the period remaining to the end of the contract, may also be used.

Platform

The hardware, software and communications environment in which business systems operate.

Project

Work authorised through the Departmental approval process.