Whitehall must rationalise the planning and funding regime for
local authority e-government, the public sector IT managers' group
Socitm warned at the start of its spring conference last week, says
Mike Simons.
Progress towards e-government and the barriers it faces were summed
up in a report, Local E-government Now 2002: There For the Taking,
which was released at the conference.
Incoming Socitm president, Jim Haslam, said, "There is no single
prescription to ensure successful delivery of e-government. Success
requires much more than technology."
The report said, "Last year a small number of pioneering councils
were moving towards the implementation of e-government. This year
there is much more evidence of e-government in action."
Nevertheless, Socitm has expressed concern about funding and the
plethora of government initiatives. It also pointed out the
contradiction between councils forced into competitive bidding for
short-term pilot projects and the need for stable, long-term
funding to roll out successful approaches.
The report called on the government to rationalise its strategic
planning agenda and funding regimes.