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There is a great
deal of interest amongst local authorities about how to
implement "e-government", and how to make the most of
using the new information and communication technologies
(ICT).
Essentially, there
are two aspects to this:
If the first of
these is attempted without the second, the likelihood is that
there will be duplication in processes. By changing the way they
work, local authorities should be able to reduce corporate costs
and to shift resources to the front line.
In this article we
provide an introduction to the issues: future articles will
explore particular aspects of "information age"
working for local government.
Towards
online service delivery
One way to check out
local authorities' progress into the Information Age is to
measure it against other online services you have used recently
(or could have used).
I'm by no means a
regular online shopper, but in the past year I have booked
several flights and a couple of hotels, changed my car
insurance, bought cinema tickets and numerous gifts online.
That's in addition to the regular news reading, research
trawling and visits to entertainment sites, plus helping the
kids find resources for their homework.
And from our local
authorities? .....er.... Not a lot yet. Just a bit of information
seeking.
At the moment,
compared to the private sector, there is relatively little in
the way of interaction or transaction that goes on with UK local
authorities. But nearly all local authorities are now developing
websites and strategies for online service delivery. The issue
is how to maximise the benefits from doing so without adding to
costs.
What
can local authorities do online?
At the moment, the
major focus in online service delivery is on Tony Blair's "education, education,
education". Very significant resources are being put into
projects at national and local level, to develop the National
Grid for Learning, community grids for learning, ICT learning
centres and a host of other projects. New infrastructure and new
content is being developed.
But there is much
that local schools and education authorities can do to help
students, parents and teachers improve their experience of
education services, even apart from these large-scale projects.
For example:
-
sharing
resources online - how many hours do teachers spend
cutting and pasting (possibly illegally!) worksheets to
photocopy, often duplicating work their colleagues are
doing?
-
sending and
receiving work online - as is often done in higher
education, but quite rarely at lower levels
-
provide
up-to-date information to parents about courses, entry
requirements, exam requirements, etc
-
apply for
courses, grants, etc online - currently a very
paper intensive process.
Behind these
particular types of online service delivery are 4 basic types of
activity:
-
publishing
information - this can be either one-way, or giving
publishing rights to multiple users
-
exchanging
information (not necessarily publishing it)
-
making
enquiries - either structured (e.g. searching courses
database) or unstructured (i.e. asking an open-ended
question expecting an "expert" response)
-
making a
transaction - such as making an application, ordering or
buying a product.
These categories can
be taken and applied to most areas of local government activity.
Education provides an interesting example, as much of the
service delivery is necessarily physical: that is, teachers and
students gather together in a physical place. But many of the
supporting activities can be enhanced by effective use of the
new technologies.
Other areas of local
government responsibility may be even more amenable to online
interaction.
Take for example the
planning process. If we take for granted a need for site visits
and meetings, the planning process can be greatly improved by
using new technologies. At the moment, in most cases the process
is almost entirely paper based until the archiving process, when
it may become electronic. This needs to be reversed!
Here is how service
delivery could be enhanced online:
-
publication
of planning applications online - some authorities
provide lists of applications online, but rarely the detail.
Notifying and showing amendments online could add efficiency
and improve consultation processes
-
consultation
- seeking comments online for particular applications or
seeking views on planning briefs, development plan, etc
-
remote video
- could improve discussion with applicants and objectors,
and also help out planning committees making decisions
(especially if committee members have no idea what the site
looks like...)
These types of
activities can be delivered via open or restricted systems of
communication. But the key requirements are that they should
improve on current forms of communication, reduce paper
production, speed up service delivery, and reduce the need for
travelling.
Changing
working practices
In giving these two
examples of education and planning it is already evident that
"behind-the-scenes" or "back-end" processes
also need to change.
First, the process
of information gathering and management needs to go electronic
from origination to delivery to archiving. All too often paper
processes remain, and an additional process is added for
putting information online - this will not do!
Secondly, where and
when staff work need to be re-assessed. Remote communication
with customers can take place from anywhere - as can access to
office resources. This means there is scope for reducing central
office accommodation, and also for locating staff closer to the
communities they serve.
Thirdly, the
infrastructure needs to be in place both for allowing flexible
work and communication by staff, but also enabling customers to
communicate online - which can mean local access points,
videoconferencing facilities, kiosks, etc as well as promoting
web access from home, school and workplaces.
Fourthly,
significant training needs to take place to enable staff to work
effectively, and for managers to manage effectively,
using the new technologies.
Is
it happening?
Innovative practices
are beginning to take root in some local authorities. Lewisham,
for example, has been moving ahead in some aspects of online
service delivery (e.g. their "Telly Talk" service in
housing offices, enabling remote communication via
videoconferencing) and online democracy.
Some, like
Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Surrey have been implementing
remote working particularly for field workers, and making some
quite radical changes to the way property is used to support it.
We are in early days
yet. But with constant pressure on budgets and on both
front-line and administrative workers, there is a clear case for
local authorities biting the bullet and pressing ahead with more
efficient ways of working and service delivery.
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