IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Union National Bank (UNB), one of the leading domestic banks in the UAE, has recently announced a tie up with Dubai eGovernment to offer the direct debit payment facility to account holders of the bank. All account holders of Union National Bank can now pay for various Dubai Government services and private sector services in real time as their accounts are directly debited with immediate updation in records.

The governments of the UK and Estonia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, agreeing that they will collaborate on digital government initiatives in future.

Estonia is recognised as a world leader in e-government. Nine out of ten tax returns in the country are filled out online, as were a quarter of votes in its 2011 elections.

Cheshire CC and four local primary care trusts (PCTs) are implementing a new IT system to carry out joint health and social care assessments of elderly people. The system, said to be a first for a local authority, meets the government's requirements for assessing patients and sharing information across health and social care boundaries.

Caroline Stanger, who is directing the programme for both councils, said the project will initially focus on sharing transaction services. She confirmed the councils were hoping to create a formal joint venture with a commercial body to develop a programme that could eventually be used by other public bodies. Cambridgeshire County Council has budgeted to save £1 million through the project in 2008-09, she added.

At the same time, government ministers unveiled sweeping legislation in the form of the Serious Crime Bill, which contains measures to allow widespread data sharing between public and private sectors for the first time.

London Connects will soon start work on an efficiency strategy with Capital Ambition, the improvement partnership for public sector authorities in London, and the London Centre of Excellence, a regional lead organisation for local government efficiency.

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.

"The Partnership," as it is called -- which includes East Northamptonshire Council, Northamptonshire; Harborough District Council, Leicestershire; Melton Borough Council, Leicestershire; Rutland County Council and South Kesteven District Council, Lincolnshire -- decided to work together for mutual benefit.

Five hundred public sector organisations in north Yorkshire will be connected to a single high-speed network as part of a major shared services initiative.

North Yorkshire County Council has teamed up with BT to deliver NYnet, which will allow schools to share applications and online seminars, while child protection services will be able to collaborate better with police and share information.

While public-sector leaders likely read the same best-selling books explaining how to collaborate, how to innovate and how to change government as we know it, there are only a few who actually start meaningful collaborations or actually innovate. Most people agree that collaboration and innovation are good things, so what’s stopping the changing of government?

The information-sharing capability, crucial component of the federal government comprehensive strategy to locate and remove convicted criminal aliens, is now linked to all California police agencies with the purpose to identify undocumented and documented aliens, who have been arrested.

The implemented system will alert ICE with biometrics-fingerprints when potentially removable aliens are booked into local jails, so they can have access to all of the state's county prisons to take jurisdiction over immigrants charged with crimes.

CIO Jack Belcher explained to Government Technology that employees wanted to know things like how to integrate with the county’s email system, advice on the best note-taking app, and how to maximize device battery life.