Despite last week's £511m cash injection from Whitehall to boost
e-government strategies, a report from the Audit Commission warns
that local authorities still need substantial continuing support
from central government.
The report, Message Beyond the Medium - Improving Local Government
Services Through E-government, warned that councils lack the
critical combination of IT and business skills needed for the
successful development of e-government and would benefit from
greater and better-targeted government support.
Andrew Foster, controller of the Audit Commission, said,
"E-government needs to be driven from the very top and should be
seen as core to the way a council does business, not an add-on."
He added, "Greater government support to help councils access the
[IT] skills they lack could help to close the gap between the
technologically adept and those still unsure about how to move
forward."
Last week the Government announced £511m spending over the next
three years to support the Local Government Online strategy. The
money, which is part of the 2002 Spending Review, is designed to
help local authorities to meet the 2005 deadline for getting
services online.
Council IT managers, while welcoming the extra funding, have warned
that the Government must ensure that it delivers results. One local
authority IT manager in the North West, who asked not to be named,
said. "One of the key issues is focusing that spending to ensure
that it delivers e-government."
He also pointed to the importance of partnerships and best
practice. "Partnership arrangements and sharing best practice will
ensure that the best use is made of the money," he said.
A spokesman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, which
handles e-government, welcomed the Audit Commission report. "It is
a helpful contribution to the debate on finalising the national
strategy for local e-government."
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Office of the E-envoy,
the Local Government Association and the Improvement and
Development Agency are co-operating to provide financial, technical
and policy support to councils, he said.
The Audit Commission report, which surveyed 132 local authorities,
found that most are optimistic about e-government. For example, 66%
of councils that see the 2005 target as an important milestone
expect to achieve it but 20% of councils are still planning
e-government rather than delivering it.