3 Public sector management and governance

3.1.1 The SSC and Treasury are considering the impact of e-government initiatives on public sector management, and this work will flow on to the governance and funding arrangements of projects like S.E.E. PKI. The Shared Workspace, metadata, S.E.E. Mail, and directory projects will require similar governance and funding arrangements.

3.1.2 In the short term, we propose that the S.E.E. PKI team continue to report to the S.E.E. Steering Group) for all governance matters. The SSC E-government unit will be responsible for the operational aspects of the S.E.E. PKI.

3.1.3 Wider consultation is also required to ensure a high quality result and to gain commitment across government. We recommend that a consultancy group of interested parties across government, local government and the private sector be established for this purpose.

3.1.4 It is important that other dependent e-government projects report to the same body. The S.E.E. Steering Group may need to be extended to include representatives from outside the three central agencies to make it more representative of government.

3.2 What would the S.E.E. Steering Group do?

3.2.1 The governing body would:

• Make risk management decisions

• Make decisions on funding / charging options

• Consider proposals to extend or use the infrastructure outside its planned scope

• Consider impact and requirements on other systems

• Be responsible for quality assurance, audit and dispute resolution

3.3 What would the SSC E-government unit do?

3.3.1 The unit would:

• Manage the accreditation of S.E.E. PKI CAs

• Market the use of S.E.E. PKI

• Oversee the audit of the S.E.E. PKI framework