Page 70 - Procurement guidelines for smart sustainable cities - A U4SSC deliverable

The approach

Step One – Audit

Legacy IT has been a problem for decades. There is a wealth of guidance and training available.
The team first created a content matrix of what is available and for whom.

Step Two – Discovery

Understanding what is and what is not working, with a focus on people, as well as on content.

A survey reached 115 people from across functions within central government, local authorities,
devolved administrations and arms-length government bodies.

Twenty 1-2-1 interviews explored where different job roles and levels of seniority within legacy IT
programmes were finding blockers and what they needed from leadership.

Eleven leaders interviewed on film about successful and unsuccessful programmes to address
legacy IT.

Discovery Findings:

• Non-DDaT leadership does not always recognize what legacy IT is, why it is a risk or that they
have a responsibility to address it.

• Non-DDaT leadership has the greatest influence on budget allocation and business case sign
off.

• Non digital leadership would not see why they should learn about legacy IT.

• DDaT professionals do not have power to address legacy IT without leadership and funding.
Funding is the biggest blocker.
• DDaT professionals are not necessarily aware of all the guidance and standards they should
consider on any digital programme including legacy IT.

• Non-DDaT professionals need to be invited into multidisciplinary teams, but DDaT professionals
do not always know which function and when to do this.
• When DDaT and non-DDaT professionals were presented with the 30 plus documents related
to legacy IT GDS discovered during audits, they felt overwhelmed and that they did not have
the time to read and understand everything. This was particularly acute for professionals who
were contracting or new to government, regardless of their seniority.

Step Three – Alpha

The Legacy IT programme board approved the behavioural change approach.

56 Procurement guidelines for smart sustainable cities | May 2023