The BBC news story on 28^th July 2011, about Whitehall being ripped off by large I.T. firms made interesting reading. (Click Link)

Yet again, Government is wondering how they are spending so much money on projects that deliver very little, or in some cases nothing at all.

There is little doubt that the I.T. firms are making money out of Whitehall, but I do question whether it is wilfully ‘ripping them off.’

One of the key factors in the many examples available of I.T. contracts and projects that have gone so array, is the lack of understanding by Senior Managers in the Government on how to negotiate workable contracts, manage projects and set realistic budgets.

An observation on the whole Murdoch/Brookes debacle, and there could be many, the existence of and effectiveness of corporate governance, separation of duties at the top etc There is so much that we still just do not know and so I think it would be foolish to be drawn upon the matter when still so much is gossip and speculation.

The point of interest that made me want to comment at this time was not Murdoch/Brookes per se but the so called Honourable resignations of the top brass at the Metropolitan Police. I can’t help thinking that if they had been anyone other than the top two appointments they would not have been allowed to resign.