FAME has created a solution for effective multi-agency working through a partnership between Newcastle City Council, North East Centre of Excellence, North East Connects and the University of Newcastle. The solution provides a full framework and practical toolkit to support the implementation and development of successful multi-agency working, helping to address the complex issues of trust, security and governance in order to provide more efficient public services which look after citizens better.
One of the main benefits of engaging with FAME is that it can assist local authorities in their delivery of Gershon targets by providing an effective, more citizen focused and efficient way of sharing information between departments and agencies. A fully joined up infrastructure is currently a major challenge for local authorities and their partners. It is complex, and currently there are no public sector examples. Interoperable systems between neighbouring local authorities or agencies are expensive and time consuming and common components are needed for identity management, trust models, information sharing, and messaging to avoid the development of multiple unique solutions.
I believe that if we are to collectively respond to Gershon targets, we need to reduce operational costs, avoid duplication in procurement, and minimise risk wherever possible. FAME’s toolkit offers shared applied learning and a framework of understanding that promotes thinking through complex issues. A FAME information sharing network ensures that Agencies and Partnerships retain their identities and responsibilities for control and ownership of data. Legal requirements are taken into account for building a federated infrastructure that is sustainable and scaleable.
At North East Connects, FAME has assisted our understanding of how multi-agency working should develop within the North East, and is supporting the development of joined-up transformational government. As we are an evolving partnership, consisting of every authority in the North East, we expect some challenges ahead but with the assistance of FAME, we are able to foresee and manage risks and help Local Authorities and their partners deliver high quality services to our communities.
Whilst FAME has been developed in the North East, following significant interest expressed from a number of other local authorities and their partners, the Programme is now looking to push out these resources across the UK, in order to make the benefits of the project’s learning and experience within the field of multi-agency working more widely available. The past month has seen more people accessing the FAME website for help and advice on issues of multi-agency working than ever before.
Part of the FAME toolkit which has proved particularly popular is the Readiness Assessment Tool available at www.fame-uk.org. It is a refreshingly simple way for an emerging or established partnership to understand the issues from every angle, and to effectively implement change. It offers a series of questions to help local authorities and local partnerships to create a regional roadmap and business plan for implementing multi-agency or inter-departmental information sharing. At North East Connects, we have found that it fast tracks the process and provides a clear assessment of progress towards the building of a successful and sustainable multi-agency environment.
There is real urgency in this field at the moment, as people’s level of understanding of multi-agency working and information sharing is really low, and this is an effective framework which can be applied to and of use in many multi-agency environments.
Multi-agency environments should provide appropriate, human, developmental, financial and managerial assets to support both the provision of the effective technical and organisational infrastructures that are required for effective joined-up working. I believe that FAME offers a means to do this and I would encourage any local authority or public sector organisation looking to address these issues to consider how FAME can offer support.
Quelle: Publictechnology, 17.03.2006
