Steve Nice, Chief Technology Officer at Reconnix, the Open Source applications ecosystem company, shares his thoughts on the current state of Open Source adoption in the public sector from the perspective of an SME supplier. He also highlights three key steps to unleashing its potential.
Much has been written about the use of Open Source in government over the last few years. Yet, despite a strong directive from Francis Maude, and the Cabinet Office, many central government workers in IT decision making positions still appear to be hesitant about implementing alternative software solutions into their existing technology stack.
So, just what is holding back Open Source innovation in government?
Many civil servants may say it would be a costly exercise to switch from proprietary software to a fully-fledged Open Source alternative. In my opinion, that is untrue; when done right, implementing Open Source alternatives can be more cost effective.
Others would say that Open Source is not tried and tested – and is therefore unreliable. Again, it’s difficult to give that argument much credit when you look at the multitude of Open Source solutions that are successfully implemented and used by the private sector.
I think the truth about what is holding back Open Source innovation in government is less black and white than either of those two cases.
In short, I believe it’s a cultural issue. I say this because government organisations, especially those in central government, are used to procuring their IT through large (and therefore perceived low-risk) organisations. Civil servants have become complacent and too comfortable in the fact that spending their large IT budgets with equally large organisations often decreases the risk they take on themselves.
This culture of being ‘risk averse’ has been acknowledged by government, who has recently announced that it has set the Open Standards Board which will aim to help identify and drive open standards into the C-level , in the hopes of achieving the desired change.
The creation of the Board, which includes government CTO Liam Maxwell, is a welcome move by government from our perspective as it should encourage senior civil servants to move towards the end goal of becoming more innovative and Open Source minded.
It is however worth pointing out that, there have been many attempts to do just this in the past, with varying degrees of success.
Unfortunately, at this point in time the current ‘risk averse’ culture that is prevalent in government isn’t helping to put the innovation and cost savings it so desperately desires into the very fibre of its technology. It also is not helping drive the agenda to adopt Open Source, learn from the private sector, or work with an increasing number of ready and able SMEs.
The question is, how do you change the ‘risk averse’ culture and help ensure that the true potential of Open Source is realised where it is most needed?
Build a culture with an Open vision
For Open Source to become a true beacon of innovation and an effective cost saving alternative, the culture of those making IT decisions needs to change.
IT decision makers in the central government sector have to become more open-minded, less risk averse and individually willing to put a steak in the ground in the name of building a better ICT future. The premise of Open Source is after all built on collaboration, a different way of working.
It is the right time to start building Open Source into government’s vision now. I say this because significant opportunities exist at this moment in time to review existing infrastructure in light of budgetary constraints and a desire to become more agile.
Open Source adoption can be the ultimate tool for creating a new culture and driving efficiency when it comes to upgrading existing kit or services when they reach end of life. But it is only when government IT decision makers are willing to step outside the traditional proprietary boundaries, and work as collaboratively as possible with the right partners, that ICT will realise the benefits of Open Source.
Set up innovation centres
I admit that it is easy to say civil servants need to be less risk averse. I do appreciate the pressures that they face in having to deliver more with less.
But why not approach implementing Open Source as many in the private sector would – by trying and testing it?
IT decision makers should set up innovation centres where Open Source, and other technologies, can be tested in a ‘safe’ environment.
An innovation centre will give IT decision makers the opportunity to test software and other Open Source solutions in a quick fire, quick fail, quick succeed manner. It gives them the opportunity to quickly set up an alternative solution and test whether it is right for their environments, all while de-risking the project.
Learn from others and build on their success
Another key directive from the echelons of power in government is to learn from best practice case studies and from partners.
Government IT decision makers need to go far and wide to learn not only from the private sector about what has worked at an enterprise level with regards to Open Source, but also to find out who the right partners are to talk to about Open Source implementation.
I am sure they will quickly find that it will rarely be the traditional suppliers – but rather a set of innovative, forward thinking and knowledgeable SMEs that take the lead in this market.
By embracing Open Source technology as a path to success, being less risk averse and willing to drive innovation in a collaborative way, public sector IT decision makers will be able to deliver on the goal of ‘better for less’.