It has therefore set up a steering group, due to meet in June, which will seek to identify and commission research into the current problems with IT professionalism, and put forward solutions that will take the Society towards its goal of building a truly professional IT industry.
The group will be chaired by BCS fellow John Leighfield OBE, one of the most highly respected figures in UKIT, and will include leading representatives from industry and government among its members.
John Higgins, Director General of Intellect, Bob Assirati, Executive Director of the Office of Government Commerce, Katie Davies of the Cabinet Office's IT team and representation from major companies including IBM are all participating.
"Following recent high profile IT project failures, there has been a rapid understanding of the need to improve the quality of product and service in IT if business and society is to secure the real benefits which the technology has to offer," said BCS chief executive David Clarke.
"But the Society also recognises that we are still a long way from a mature IT profession when professional qualifications are seen as imperative rather than an optional extra," he added. "There is still only a small minority of practitioners in membership of any professional body and few, if any, employers require professional qualifications as part of their recruitment practice."
In order to embed professional standards and professional qualifications – such as the Chartered IT Practitioner accreditation offered by the BCS – in IT practice, says Clarke, the industry has to work with key stakeholders.
"All the indications are that the IT world is now ready for that move if given the right leadership," he predicted.
Elsewhere, Prime Minister Tony Blair announced yesterday that the new minister for e-commerce would be former First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales, Alun Michael.
The MP for Cardiff South and Penarth takes responsibility for the sector as part of a portfolio of roles as Minister of State for Industry and the Regions Responsible for Supporting Successful Enterprise.
