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Working for Torbay Council as I do ... lets have a look at this "reply"
closely.
> Information request reference: 101000195219
>
> Thankyou for your request for information. You asked for information
> regarding a review of Microsoft Office software used by Devon County
> Council, linked to efficiency. I am able to provide the following
> response:
>
> Devon County Council is part of a South West Consortium of Local
> Authorities, for which there is currently a procurement project to
> create a Framework Agreement for the supply of computer hardware,
> software, peripherals and related services. The project plan shows a
> completion of March 2008.
> Devon County Council procurement policy mandates the consideration of
> Open Source options.
> It is anticipated that a review of the Office Suite will commence second
> quarter of 2008.
>
There is no enforceable law in this country which forces a local
authority to use Open Source (nor should there be IMO because
enforcement is no more democratic than asking MS for handouts or "bulk
purchase agreements").
There is an understanding ("gentleman's agreement") that open source
should be considered, however, on the other hand there is no definition
of the level of "consideration" that should be given to these matters,
so any authority can issue a statement such as "we considered it but
dismissed it" and consider it to have discharged its "duty".
If you want a proper response then you have to ask them what the
criteria for software evaluation are, how they where applied and the
logic of the deliberations and outcomes, not just ask them will they be
using X or Y since they can always come back and say we considered X but
dismissed it (without adequate explanation).
I have done everything I can save holding the council member at gun
point (violence was never my thing) to try and get Open Source
considered, but after 10 years you kinda think "they are never going to
get it".
Of course the ultimate weapon against inertia is to get yourself elected
as a council member and then asking awkward questions .... nobody will
love you ... but if you take a certain attitude you can have fun being
"unloved".
There I have stirred it up way too much tonight and probably hastened my
removal from post at Torbay Council but I'm past caring ......
Tom.
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