Implementing Electronic Government Statement
This process has culminated with the requirement for all local authorities to produce an Implementing Electronic Government (IEG) Statement setting out how the authority intends to respond to two main requirements re service delivery, namely;
- To enable 100% of service activities to be provided by electronic means, where that is legally and practically possible, and
- To promote a joined-up approach to service delivery and to data management, so that information need only be collected once, and then used many times.
In deciding where the council wishes to get to by 2005, we have considered the following principles;
- Electronic Government is not just about introducing additional ways to deliver services;
- It is a foundation which will enable the delivery of services in a variety of ways, depending on the service and the customers preference;
- It must enable a better service to be provided in as seamless a manner as possible;
- It must put the customer at the centre of the process, rather than the provider;
- It must ensure that information is managed and made available to all parts of the authority (where legislation permits);
- Inter-organisational co-operation will be required so as to improve the quality and effectiveness of the services delivered, promote organisational efficiencies and reduce public expenditure;
- All involved, at all levels within the council, must work together to achieve a successful outcome;
- Specific projects within the overall plan must be supported by a properly evaluated business case, so as to justify the budget and resources allocated.
The ultimate goal therefore is to:
"provide the customer with easy access to the right services, thereby improving their quality of life, by capturing the potential of (electronic) technologies and breaking down barriers between organisations"
