What risks need to be managed or mitigated?

Risk management

Any change to ways of working accompanied by technological development, has inherent risks. The Focus Groups identified the following as being key areas of risk that would need to be addressed, and strategies for their management or mitigation:

• Across government co-operation and buy-in;

• Non-acceptance, or failure, of the technology;

• Expectations around consultation;

• Attitudes.

Focus Group Input

Across government co-operation and buy-in

• Lack of sufficient buy-in leading to fragmented approach

• Analysts failing to see the benefits to them and therefore not using the workspace

• Cost of technology and integrating interface between departments

• Failure to secure shared contribution to cost of implementation

• Difficulties in quantifying return on investment and the transaction costs involved

• Lack of adequate and consistent training and upskilling for the new environment.

Non-acceptance, or technology failures

• Sophistication of technology and knowledge and capability of users

• Ill will and sabotage from those opposed to further electronic development

• Failures of the technology. For example, doesn't deliver to high expectations, is inflexible or too hard to use, or too time consuming

• Reliability of the technology in particular against loss of data and documentation.

Expectations around consultation

• Lack of clear definition of changes in policy processes

• Unintended consequences of greater input and consultation (e.g. on timelines and quality of end product)

• Lack of clarity around 'stakeholder' or public participation in the shared workspace

• Lack of processes to manage stakeholder input on a potentially larger scale

• Potential for increasing digital divide especially for external interested parties. For example, organisations in the voluntary sector who cannot afford more sophisticated technology, or do not have the skills to enable participation in the shared workspace.

Attitudes

• Departments or individuals opting out of using the shared workspace and therefore making it difficult to run an interdepartmental policy project in the new environment

• Analysts viewing the electronic shared workspace as just another burden rather than something that aids their work

• Cultural and behavioural attitudes to contributing to brainstorms or discussion forums online

• Lowering the standards of communication through increased informality of email.