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The public sector is thriving in its innovative use of IT. Government-backed reformers such as Sir Peter Gershon and Sir Michael Lyons have increased the appetite to do things in radically new and different ways, and a huge programme of change is sweeping through both local and central government. High-profile projects such as the £2.3 billion national programme for IT in the NHS are only the tip of a very large and growing iceberg.

Not surprisingly, an increasing number of private sector IT chiefs are keen to roll up their sleeves and take part in this e-revolution. Perhaps they've been inspired by the likes of Ian Watmore who left his job as UK managing director at IT services company Accenture in September to become the UK Government CIO and head of e-government. Or perhaps like many who have always served shareholders, they have a socially conscious 'itch' to scratch.

There is a new perception of the public sector. It is one of excitement, vibrancy and leadership. The current change programme means that there is a much clearer commitment to delivery in the public sector than in the past, enabling executives to make a difference in areas as diverse as local government, education, health and security.

With the modernisation programme well under way, the government is being more commercial, not just in terms of the calibre of recruits for senior posts but in terms of more realistic salaries.

There is also the growing desire to introduce private sector expertise to the public services, not necessarily because individuals in the private sector are better, cleverer or harder working, but because that is where the 'in-demand' skills reside at present. It is often pointed out that the dynamic nature of business means that change, project and performance management skills have developed further in the commercial sector.

Pros and cons

Before making the quantum leap from the private to the public sector, potential recruits should carefully consider the pros and cons. Let's start with the positives. First, there is variety. CIOs considering a move from the private to the public sector can look forward to the prospect of working on a wider variety of projects. In the private sector an IT manager might spend their entire career serving one sector - for example, supporting the IT of financial services organisations. But in the public sector - local government, for example - the task is one of supporting a wide array of services, from community enterprise to protecting the most vulnerable.

To many, the main driver is that work in the public sector can tangibly benefit peoples' lives. Other advantages include the chance to drive large change programmes, achieve a sensible work/life balance or simply sign up for a level of job security and pension entitlement that is increasingly unattainable in the commercial world.

But there are downsides. Shifting to the public sector can be a real culture shock and there are plenty of challenges. The Modernisation Agenda, which has local authorities racing to meet the 2005 deadline for making many key public services available online, is just one example. There is always risk associated with change, and risk can be an unpalatable idea to councillors who have to face the electorate.

Finally, newcomers might be shocked by what they perceive to be a culture of red tape. In the past, some have also complained about the dearth of motivation for change.

In the private sector, the drive to stay ahead in a highly competitive market economy ensures change and encourages staff effort, commitment and creativity. On the other hand, change in the public sector can often be stifled because users ascribe so much importance to their services (such as the NHS) that they are distrustful of any change at all.

It remains to be seen how many CIOs recruited from the private sector will come to terms with the different culture and values that are found in the public services. But there is no denying that, like Steve Lamey, one time CIO of British Gas and now CIO of HM Revenue and Customs, or like Jo Wright who did a two year stint as director general of Criminal Justice IT, there is a new kind of IT professional emerging, one who can cut across both the private and public sectors.

As Alan Mather, head of the Cabinet Office's e-delivery team, remarked about the public sector: "It is the job you really want to do. Everything else is really secondary to this. It has 60 million customers, every technical problem you want to play with and a customer base that is worthy of your attention. If we start to get this right, things will really start to change in the country."