IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The national Police Portal, which allows members of the public to report minor crimes online, is to be replaced with an updated version with a wider range of e-services, the agency responsible said on 29 September 2005.

The Portsmouth City Council Helpdesk was established in January 2002 with the aim of making services more accessible to Portsmouth residents. Initial funding came from the E-government initiative and the centre was set up with just seven staff dealing with highways issues, refuse collection and some leisure enquiries. In the first year the centre deal with 101, 200 enquiries.

Broadband Television is an area of increasing interest and activity and a number of areas have recently launched local broadband TV services, including Glasgow and Doncaster.

The Business and Enterprise Committee has found that the public is "deeply sceptical" about the extent to which it is acceptable to offer public services only online. Citing previous research that agreed with its theory, it said there is widespread concern that certain disadvantaged groups in society might lose out because of their inability to access or use the internet. Particular reference was made to older people who do not know how to use the internet and to low income groups who may not be able to afford a computer and internet connection at home.

Local government minister Brian Gibbons agreed £1,500 could be allocated from the Post Office Development Fund to equip two offices with computer equipment.

The partnership with BT Wales, which will match the funding, would allow sub-postmasters and mistresses in rural areas and areas of deprivation to turn their post offices into community broadband hubs.

With that deadline fast approaching it's maybe a good time to turn our attention to the benefits of e-government for Joe Public. After all, this isn't an initiative conceived to benefit politicians or even those with a particular interest in politics; the aim of e-government is to keep citizens better informed and to involve them more in the democratic process.

But there's no point sinking large amounts of public money into new systems that don't deliver a return on investment.

It provides a framework for thinking, debate and action on the conditions for successful innovation and its diffusion in the public sector, with great relevance for those working on e-Government strategy and eGovernment projects - where innovation is needed in many areas to re-plan services to hit citizens' needs rather than simply replicate an existing flawed service online with no added value.

HM Prison Service is nearing the end of a shared services programme that will help save more than £95m.

The £40m initiative to share IT systems between different locations will be fully rolled out by October this year.

'Connecting for Health' is an ambitious project that was billed by the Department of Health as the world's biggest civil IT electronic record.

But problems with contractors and hospitals not installing the technology has meant the scheme has suffered long delays.

The Scottish Executive has disclosed plans to set up a central procurement facility to help local authorities in Scotland with their service transformation programmes.

The work will be one of the key priorities over the coming year to take forward its Customer First strategy, it said on 5 July.