Economic slowdown will make it an uphill struggle for the
Government to meet Tony Blair's 2005 deadline for getting services
online, according to a leading council IT manager.
Robin Carsberg, president of the Society of Information Technology
Management (Soctim), said some services could miss the 2005
deadline. "I see considerable achievements being made by 2005 but
in the current financial situation its impossible to say that all
services will meet that deadline," he said.
Carsberg believes that local authorities may find it more difficult
to obtain finance and investment over the next few years, so should
keep a close eye on how money is spent implementing e-government.
"There are never enough funds in local government so the key is
using those funds wisely," he said.
He also identified the roll-out of broadband communications, a key
element of e-government strategy, as a potential victim of any
economic downturn.
However, according to Carsberg, local government will meet the
overall challenge presented by a future downturn. "We are all at
our best when resources are limited and we have to show that we are
making every penny count," he said.
James Rogers
james.rogers@rbi.co.uk