The UK government’s advisory Central Computer & Telecommunications Agency is recommending that with effect from July 1993 contractors and consultants employed by them should have a Certificate of Proficiency in information technology under their belt. The Agency has been stung by criticism from the National Audit Commission, the public sector watchdog, on the use of inexperienced consultants, some of whom were graduate trainees while under contract from the Agency. The certificate is based on two sets of CCTA’s Infrastructure Library, devised in 1986 to help departments provide good, cost-effective information technology services. The certificate is granted by the Information Systems Examination Board. Roy Dibble, head of strategic programmes at CCTA, says that the Agency will promote the certificate and give preference to those that achieve it, but cannot make it mandatory under EC law unless equivalent qualifications are issued by other EC member states. The certificate is available now from one of three British Computer Society-accredited bodies, the Civil Service college, at a price of UKP2,200. Four courses, with a limit of 16 per course, will be offered per year.
