The Strategy for 'Transformational Government, Enabled by Technology', was launched by the Government in November 2005. It embodies three key transformations:

* services, enabled by IT, must be designed around the citizen or business

* Government must move to a shared services culture

* there must be broadening and deepening of Government's professionalism in terms of planning, delivery, management, skills and governance of IT-enabled change

These transformations depend on the assured availability, integrity and confidentiality of information within and between Government departments, authorised agencies and commercial partners. Information risks are real and must be understood and managed with the same rigour accorded to the management of other risks.

In our role as National Technical Authority for Information Assurance, CESG has created the Information Assurance series of annual events to explore the challenges laid out in the Transformational Government Strategy.

IA06 presented a powerful platform for the principal decision makers and influencers from the public and private sectors to debate the priorities and opportunities for shaping the UK strategy for Transformational Government.

Through this debate, IA06 contributed to the development of the Government’s National Information Assurance Strategy, which will be launched to coincide with IA07.

The authors of the National IA Strategy will use this event to debate how best to deliver their vision, identifying opportunities for improving the effectiveness and tempo of its implementation.