The IT sector has been criticised in the past over the failure of major government IT projects, including problems at the Department of Work and Pensions and the Child Support Agency.
In response, Intellect published a Code of Best Practice in December 2003, setting out 10 commitments for members signing up to the Code. To date, 49 members of the group, including BT, Accenture and Microsoft, have adopted the Code.
Intellect has added a compliance mechanism to the Code of Practice that allows suppliers to demonstrate how they intend to implement the Code in practical terms, and empowers customers to assess suppliers' behaviour against the commitments.
Launching the new compliance mechanism yesterday, John Higgins, Intellect's Director General said, "Both Government and Industry have been criticised in the past for IT project failures. The development of this compliance mechanism is proof that we've not been sitting idly by."
He continued: "Companies who adopt this Code are confirming that they are committed to providing higher levels of service and project implementation. The new compliance mechanism is another step forward in reforming supplier and customer behaviour. It raises the bar and established new benchmarks".
John Oughton, OGC Chief Executive, said:
"We welcome the new compliance mechanism, and are confident that it will have a positive impact on the delivery of ICT projects."