As Britain becomes digital, Adrian Moss, head of Web 2.0
atParity
, calls for better online engagement at a local level.
Earlier this year, the government announced plans to appoint a
'champion' to promote digital inclusion. Martha Lane Fox, the
digital entrepreneur and founder of Lastminute.com, was unveiled as
the person who would lead plans to bring the web to the socially
disadvantaged.
But while a programme designed to make the web more accessible
is certainly commendable - and perhaps integral to the digital
future of Britain - the government must make sure it is ready for
what it is creating. If the plan is a success, four million more
people will be digitally savvy and connected by 2012. However this
achievement could prove to be a double-edged sword. Greater
competence, awareness and ability will lead to a greater demand for
online services, and a higher level of standard expected for the
quality, accessibility and effectiveness of those services.
With this being the case, the public sector must ensure it is
ready for the digital revolution. Public services - particularly at
a local and regional level - must be fully available, fully
accessible, and fully effective over the web. But at the moment,
it's often the case that information is difficult to access, and
transactions are tricky to perform.
Much is made of central government's online strategies, but what
is really needed is investment at the grass roots level. Local
councils should be given access to money and resources that would
allow them to deliver more services online, allowing local
residents to perform transactions over the Internet, use the
council's website as a central point of information for the area,
and engage more effectively with the people at the top and the
overall decision-making process.
The benefits of increased online presence and focused digital
strategies are wide-ranging. Firstly, it's an excellent way to
convey information - be that announcements about school closures
due to swine flu or bad weather, accidents and road blockages, or
advertisements for charity events, summer fetes and bonfire nights.
It's a cost-effective, time-efficient way of transmitting
information to a large audience.
Secondly, it can cut costs. With the public sector now facing
the kind of belt-tightening experienced earlier in the year by
private business, cost-cutting is increasingly important. An
interactive website can allow customers to perform transactions for
such things as council tax or penalty notices online, without
having to rely on a personally operated phone system or substantial
administrative process. Some sites allow citizens to report
problems such as graffiti or an abandoned car.
A well-populated website can act as a point of reference for all
local information and community news, even allowing residents to
view planning applications rather than submit a request to the
authority which then needs following up. This significantly reduces
the administrative burden and cuts the need for so much help-desk
support.
Finally, an online strategy helps central and local government
departments engage with their public. For example, instigating
online conversation can help local authorities get direct feedback
from residents about how council money is spent - which ultimately
improves the standard of services delivered overall.
If the government's targets for a more digital Britain are to be
met, the public sector must ensure it can handle, and respond to,
an increasingly online population. Services must be in place before
the people arrive to use them.