Finance Minister has told a group of senior civil servants.

Eugene Cox was speaking at a workshop of more than 100 top Government administrators at Sonesta Beach hotel where Canadian information technology management expert Charles Belford is guest speaker.

Permanent secretaries, directors and supervisors from most ministries were in attendance in addition to computer specialists, and representatives from Police and Fire Services.

Mr. Cox opened the two-day workshop on Monday, saying the e-commerce legislation will control the business dealings of numerous companies seeking to operate internet companies from Bermuda.

He said Government's managers and computer department must continue to keep up with trends in the computer revolution.

Through their diligence, he said, the Island had avoided major problems with integrated services of the kind that caused the UK's passport office's recent backlog due to a new computer system.

Mr. Belford is a former director of policy and planning for the Canadian Solicitor General and has had responsibility for counter terrorism within the Government.

He said he was only a "facilitator'' in dialogue about managing organisations that use information technology.

And his career as a consultant only took off when he wanted to know how to better manage an information-technology dependent company, and became a trailblazer when he found no one else had written anything.

"It's not about technology or management,'' he said. "This is about managing the way you manage your company with technology.'' Mr. Belford said for a government to develop in the future, not only would new skills have to be learned, but old ones would have to be revamped.

Using the example of how e-mail has developed since its origins in the 1960s, he said smart managers will look to future uses rather than "think in the box''.

Such strategic thinking will increase productivity and efficiency in Government.

"The challenge of management is that we have to ask, `Can we make it do more for us?' '' Mr. Belford said. "The problem for managers -- not just information technology managers -- is how do you expand on that base tool.'' Technology has made governments more efficient and had led to a revolution in how work is completed in the business and governmental environment.

In an interview, Mr. Belford said many governments had become dependent on technology without understanding the implications of instant and cheap communications.

Mr. Belford said he is encouraged by the "aggressiveness'' of the Bermuda Government in wanting to discuss the matter, adding: "They've broken the mindset that to do things better you have to get a bigger computer.'' Mr. Belford -- his son David was sailing instructor at the Sandys Boat Club last summer -- started Management Smarts Inc. in 1994 and has conducted seminars throughout North America.

Charles Belford: Focusing on improving service through better use of technology.