03 August 2007
The public purse could make significant savings if the government planned better how it disposes of its computers, fax machines and telephones, auditors said this week.
On average, public bodies change their information, communication and technology equipment every five years, compared with a three-year average in the commercial sector. But the National Audit Office is urging the public sector to follow the best commercial practices and dispose of ICT equipment sooner, which would net a higher resale price.
As well as financial considerations, government departments should also give thought to environmental concerns, the NAO said.
Its July 31 report suggested there was a need for more joined-up thinking in the longer term, including better understanding of the wider environmental costs and benefits from the acquisition, use and disposal of ICT equipment.
The report suggests that public sector bodies at the centre of government with responsibilities in this area, including the Office of Government Commerce and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, should conduct a joint analysis of the 'whole-life value' of public sector ICT equipment.
This could consider how the public sector can make better use of its purchasing power to bring about environmentally beneficial changes in the design and manufacture of ICT equipment.
NAO head Sir John Bourn said the government needed to give more thought to how it disposed of its obsolete equipment, especially as environmental concerns were mounting.
'Government needs to understand better the trade-offs between securing better immediate financial value and the wider environmental costs and benefits associated with the disposal of ICT equipment,' he said. 'It should then use this knowledge to develop appropriate procurement and disposal strategies.'
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