In addition to this the Government will have invested £675 million directly into the e-Government strategy between 2001 and 2005.
"Local Government is facing an unprecedented challenge in raising customers’ expectations through the use of technology. E-Government policy and the best value regime provide the regulatory context for this radical programme for change.” Society of Information Technology Management - 2003
e-Government initiatives are a major revolution in the manner that central and local government delivers services, leads the community and interacts with its many disparate stakeholders. It is at the heart of the drive to modernise government, with local government needing to view ICT as an opportunity to radically re-think their processes.
A key objective of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’s SR 2002 Public Service Agreement is to improve delivery and value for money of local services within a framework of national targets and policies. This includes, amongst others, assisting local government to achieve 100% capability in the electronic delivery of priority services by 2005, with a key driver of e-Government being the necessity to provide council services online. This objective will also drive the need for 24/7 high availability Internet access.
The official statement from Office of the Deputy Prime Minister states:
“If e-Government is to support these twin objectives [strong local leadership and quality public service] then it must be built into everything local government does.”
The seven Local Government priorities are:
- Raise standards across their schools
- Improve quality of life
- Promote healthier communities
- Create strong safe communities
- Transform the local environment
- Meeting transport needs
- Promote local economic vitality
To achieve the above priorities Local Government must develop joined up services, supporting customer needs and being open and accountable and actively engaging communities in shaping their services and strategies.
For further information please click here
