• silicon.com
• Management
• Public Sector

By Andy McCue, 26 April 2006 17:30

COMMENT

The government finally appointed a new CIO this week and opted for John Suffolk, who is currently director general of the £2bn Criminal Justice IT (CJIT) programme.

Suffolk appears to have been something of a dark horse candidate but in reality it is no surprise given that he is well-established and well-respected within government circles for his work turning around the complex CJIT programme.

The scale of the CJIT programme - which is on target to achieve £3bn efficiency savings - will equip Suffolk for the task of delivering the 'Transformational Government' agenda and building up a government IT profession.

As head of CJIT, Suffolk has to deal with the Home Secretary, the lord chancellor, the attorney-general, four different ministers, 43 independently policed forces, 156 independent youth teams, crown courts and magistrates courts - each with their own way of doing things. He also comes with heavyweight private sector experience as former MD of Britannia and a business trouble-shooter.

Suffolk is not the stereotypical stuffy Whitehall bureaucrat and is well-liked and respected - although he can play hardball when necessary.

One colleague told silicon.com: "John has high standards and he expects the same from those around him, and draws out the best from people. He's a man who delivers on his promises, and expects the same from those he deals with."

It's this drive which compels Suffolk to regularly put in 15- or 16-hour days working both on core CJIT projects and meeting IT suppliers about potential new technologies, although they have to pass a strict "fit for purpose" test first.

His appointment has been welcomed by the IT industry with trade body Intellect saying it will ensure that government and suppliers will continue to work closely together to deliver successful IT-enabled business change programmes.

Away from the office, Suffolk runs a rare breed conservation farm with his wife in the Peak District, which includes a litter of pigs named after chief executives and royalty.

But with the CJIT programme officially due to come to an end in March 2008 it is perhaps no surprise that Suffolk was on the look out for a bigger challenge, telling silicon.com in a recent interview: "I look for big and horrible stuff. I'm not into steady state. I get bored with steady state."

And life as government CIO certainly won't be steady state or boring.