Local authorities have been given a looser rein for e-services but
they must be consistent, writes Mike Simons
Local authorities have been encouraged to "set their own
targets" for the electronic delivery of services by the Department
of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR). However, they
have been warned that targets must still be consistent with prime
minister Tony Blair's 2005 deadline for central government "as far
as practicable".
Local authorities had been conspicuous by their absence from the
Government's e-delivery targets, although IT professionals have
been assuming that they will have to meet Blair's deadline for
central government.
The DETR has now issued a consultation document, under the
snappy title Information Age Government Targets For Local
Government, to formalise the process.
The document says, "Many local authorities have used the
Internet imaginativelyÉ and have developed or are developing a
major ICT-based evolution in information and service delivery."
But the praise barely conceals the steely intent. "Local
government and central government alike are only beginning to tap
the potential for enhancing electronic government by building-in
shared use of data and resources, better interoperability of
systems and setting up shared infrastructure," it says.
The consultation document sets out targets and practices that
local authorities might contemplate, including setting up local
e-government strategies and designating a senior manager to oversee
projects.
In the document, the DETR admits that the task of IT managers is
complicated by the Best Value regime which was introduced to local
authorities this year.
Later this month, the DETR is expected to begin formal
consultation on "one or two best value performance indicators to
provide a nationally consistent framework for measuring progress
towards e-government".
The department recognises the problems of measuring local
authorities' progress, saying, "It will be some time before either
local or national performance targets can be setÉ because an
initial set of data on how local authorities are doing will not be
available until outcomes for 2001-2002 have been analysed."
This could mean problems ahead for hard-pressed IT managers of
cash-strapped local authorities faced with moving targets. It will
certainly put a premium on having flexible IT strategies.
Socitm, the local authority IT managers' organisation, is
preparing a response to the document and the DETR has called for
councils to give their views by 9 August.
The department says replies should focus on proposed targets
that address two specific themes:
- Corporate approaches to managing information and the use of IT
for managing the business of the authority - the area of corporate
health targets
- Service-specific targets based on each council's own assessment
of how best to provide those services to the public.
The document is available