We received a lot of feedback on our recent revelation that the BC Ambulance Service abandoned a $2.8 million computer tablet project before it got into the hands of paramedics.

Given their track record on projects like this, we asked “What is it with the B.C. government and expensive, poorly managed computer projects?”

In reply, our friend Vincent Gogolek over at the Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (go to their Information Summit next month, by the way – I am) sent over a link to a very thoughtful blog post by Paul Ramsey looking at what went wrong with the $182 million Integrated Case Management System.

Essentially, Ramsey thinks government IT projects should be considered operating expenses, not capital – and that this change of mindset would help control some of the factors that lead to crazy costs and giant, virtually-impossible-to-achieve goals. Make IT a regular part of the life cycle of government – not an add-on project.

If you’re interested in this stuff, go read the post. It’s good stuff.