BS2912 Public Administration in Britain

BS2912 Public Administration in Britain

8: ICT in Local Government

BS2912 Public Administration in Britain8:ICT in Local Government

What counts as electronic access?

• Telephone and fax

• Internet (PC,digital TV,phone)

• Direct (or through a call centre)


Four guiding principles are:

• building services around citizens choices;

• making government and its services more accessible;

• ensuring that new technology does not create a digital divide between those with ready access to electronic media and those without; and

• using information more effectively.


By 2005…

• Council services are available outside standard working hours;

• Internet access and email is free to all citizens at their local library;

• Local services are provided via PC, digital TV and mobile phone formats, where appropriate;

• Public Services are co-ordinated around key life episodes for citizens via Internet portals


By 2005…

• Problems of data security and authentication of electronic information have been overcome;

• Smart cards are used for public transport passes to pay for school meals, and to authenticate transactions such as on-line voting;

• Call centres have been transformed into multi-agency contact centres offering advice and instigating action – often by jointly provided services;


By 2005…

• Elections – on-line voting and voter registration are planned; all councillors are online and trained in the use of Internet and email;

• Websites are used to encourage public consultation and debate on Council priorities and service improvement;

• High capacity local networks are in place to support the continued growth of Internet use; and

• Council staff are enabled to telework from home.


The following interactions have been identified:

• Providing information;

• Collecting revenue;

• Providing benefits and grants;

• Consultation;

• Regulation (such as issuing of licenses);

(continued..)


The following interactions have been identified:

• Applications for services;

• Booking venues, resources and courses;

• Paying for goods and services;

• Providing access to community, professional or business networks; and

• Procurement.


Milestones to achieve are:

• timescale for significant services to become available online;

• developing the means for one stop handling of change of address;

• providing one stop shops in partnership with other authorities and Public Services;

• improved effectiveness in dealing with customers over the phone through use of best practice in call handling



• procuring a significant proportion of goods and services online;

• all councillors being on-line with an email address;

• developing community strategies and partnerships around e-government – including community participation and sharing of information between other local Public Services.

• piloting teleworking for appropriate staff



•upgrading mainstream financial and administrative systems to give online management information on finance and performance.

All local authorities should report in an annual Implementing Electronic Government statement their progress in achieving these targets…


How will it be done ?

• Make money available for ‘pathfinder authorities’ to show the way

• Resources ‘to become available’ subject to the production of plans and the demonstration of progress


How much money will be made available?

Central government will pay:

2001/02 £25m (but councils have already invested £1.5 billion in ICT i.e. 60 times as much!)

2002/03 £135m

2003/04 £190m

Central government funding is therefore minimal


Case studies (1)

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Tameside currently have 30% of their services available on-line. They also have a fully transactional website, capable of handling financial transactions. The Council is providing nearly 400 free internet access points in libraries and community centres to ensure maximum opportunities to interact with technology in safe environment.


There is a network of one stop shops that provide joined up access to all council services as well as services from the Benefits Agency, Police, community legal services and credit unions. Empowered staff are able to provide a resolution to customers in 80% of cases. Extended hours are operated at these sites to ensure open access. The internal organisation of the authority reflects its customer focus, with traditional departments refocused on services with both front line and back room services working together to ensure a modern forward facing council for the information age.


Case studies (2)

West Sussex County Council

West Sussex County Council has created a partnership with all of the seven District Councils in the county along with other agencies such as Town Councils and Health. This partnership is used to provide an effective network of Help Points (one stop shops) for all council services regardless of provider. These are based on citizens needs, not provider convenience.


The partnership has ensured that across this rural County over 90% of citizens are no more than 5 miles away from an access point to council services. The partnership recognises that needs and drivers in more urban areas will be different from those in more rural ones. They have established common principles and standards based on clear service level agreements to guide the partnership. These ensure high quality service standards and enable a focus on meeting local needs in a modern joined up way. The service uses a common technology base to develop a mediated service that plays an important part in the Council’s e-government strategy.


Case studies (3)

Leeds City Council

Leeds City Council has formed a partnership with ICL to provide systems for state of the art one-stop centres providing a wide range of Public Services at a single enquiry point. It has produce a 25% increase in the number of callers handled and achieved a customer satisfaction exit survey rate of 96%. Efficiency savings of £450,000 a year are expected.


Case studies (4)

Manchester City Council

Manchester City Council has entered into a partnership to help modernise the authority by creating more efficient business systems designed to meet customers’ needs and meet the government’s targets for electronic service delivery. The partnership with ICL is initially undertaking three projects in council tax and benefits, in the city works division and in the council’s home care services. Each project is expected to be worth more than £100,000. Delivering Local Government Online


Case studies (5)~ Daventry District Council

Daventry District Council, which covers a rural district in Northamptonshire, have put in facilities to enable council tenants to pay rent on-line through the Housing Services website using credit and debit cards. They are actively planning to extend this facility to council tax payments and other services. Daventry have also ensured that all Elected Members have PCs in their homes with links to the Council e-mail, internet, agenda and committee minutes. The Council intends also to introduce direct links with a number of Parish Councils on a "pilot" basis, to enhance communications at the local level.


Case studies (6)~ Rutland County Council

Rutnet is a community portal serving the business and local communities in Rutland. Set up as a private company, it has had a formal partnership with Rutland County Council for two years. This portal has been established to overcome problems of rural sparsity and provides opportunities for local businesses to trade on-line, to advertise employment opportunities and to receive e.business support.


Case studies (6)~ Rutland County Council

…There is also a comprehensive visitor site with the majority of tourist businesses now going on line. For the community, each village has its own website with noticeboards, transport information and news. The council also uses the portal as part of its own integrated customer service. The portal is supported by Lands End, emda, BT and the Countryside Agency in addition to generated revenue.


Case studies (7)~Norfolk County Council

Norfolk County Council has a partnership with Capita to provide ICT and Exchequer (payroll, pensions and accounts) services to the Authority. The Partnership is managed jointly at all levels and is directed by a joint board which has a 3 Year Strategic Plan to guide development. The partnership enables it to smooth repayment of service investment costs over the life of the ten year contract.


Replacement financial management and email/diary systems and a Call Centre infrastructure will be delivered within the early part of the contract, together with a range of other service enhancements. All services will be delivered within the performance framework which is being jointly developed. A key benefit of the partnership is Capita’s ability to bring in experts to tackle specific issues and services without Norfolk needing to incur additional consultancy costs or employ extra staff. The partnership is expected to deliver substantial savings over the contract period.

BS2912 Public Administration in Britain

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