Adrian, David and I had a 9.00 am teleconference – mainly discussing the agenda and actions required ahead of our next board meeting on 14th August. This "end-of-week catch-up" was brought forward as I've got the day off tomorrow, to go to the Motor Show. I said in an earlier entry that I only had one further day's holiday booked up to the end of November, but forgot about this one!


After that I met with Louise Ward and Lucy Docherty from CIO Connect to review whether there's potential for collaboration with Socitm. They'll come back to me with any proposals.


Following which I had an enjoyable interview with Helen Olsen from "Local Government IT in Use" magazine, and didn't at all mind that chocolate brownie her daughter had smeared onto her notebook was then thereby transferred to my table!


It was then off to Eland House for a meeting with some of the Government Connect Team – Philip Littleavon, Simon Turnbull and Lee Grafton. I can't tell you all that we discussed, as I would have to shoot myself, apparently, but it did include help for Authorities who will struggle to achieve the Code of Connection. I do feel that our dialogue is increasingly productive, and I'm becoming more confident about the Government Connect programme and associated projects. GC will have a presence at the Socitm Annual Conference, by when the CoCo help proposition will have been finalised. In the meantime the Collaboration Forum for the GC Team, DCSF Authentication Team and Socitm members will be available from Monday, and members will be invited to apply for registration.


Then I walked down Victoria Street and arrived a little late at Transport for London's offices for a meeting with BT's Julia Branagan, and TfL's Vince Tooke, to discuss requirements for the London Public Services Network study, principles and requirements, spending a fair bit of time on Newham's plans. By the way, if you hear of the Ocean project, it's the procurement of Public Services Network that will be the successor to the Government Secure Intranet.


In an e-mail exchange with Martin Greenwood I learned that he and Chris Head are working on a proposed "CIO Charter" for the use of ICT, based-on further development of the strategic ICT principles I developed for Newham. Knows how to get 'round me, that man!