The Government's network of UK Online centres could dramatically increase take-up of eGovernment among substantial numbers of society's most disadvantaged groups, new research claims.
Pathfinder projects which used centres to help citizens access eGovernment services have achieved resounding success, says an evaluation of the nine pilots seen by eGov monitor. The projects have "clearly demonstrated the capacity of Online Centres to engage large numbers of the socially-excluded quickly and successfully", according to the report.
Between them, the pilots introduced 3,600 people to eGovernment, a figure which when extrapolated across the entire network of over 6,000 centres, suggests their potential to deliver an estimated 1.5 million new users of Government e-services within a year.
Significantly, centres improved take-up and access by target groups and those likely to be among the heaviest users of public services, offering scope for cost savings. Across all the pathfinders, a third of the users were unemployed, over a quarter came from ethnic minority groups, and 28 per cent lived in one of the 2,000 most deprived wards in England.
The report highlights that the role of UK Online centre staff was "crucial" to engaging users with eGovernment.
"Evidence from the pathfinders suggests that simply giving users access to eGovernment is not sufficient", it says. "Drop-in centres were not successful, nor were other techniques where the onus lay with the user, such as online guides and helplines."
Pathfinders found that by far the most effective means of attracting new users to eGovernment was through direct intervention by centre staff, while word-of-mouth and referrals from staff in partner agencies were also successful. Conventional marketing methods did not work, and centres found the best approach was "not to mention eGovernment at all."
Instead they used a range of innovative techniques, the most common and successful being to 'mainstream' eGovernment into their existing activities, such as internet taster sessions or England language courses.
A major role for centre staff was in providing hands-on support, such as helping users to print off and complete forms, find specific information, guide them to government websites or read information on the screen. The report concludes that without this direct support, "significant numbers of users will not adopt eGovernment."
Evaluation evidence suggests that some eGovernment services are better suited to certain types of UK Online centres than others. Evidence from the pathfinders suggests, for example, that libraries and schools are better able to work with families, the specialist voluntary sector with older people and people interested in acquiring citizenship, and the community sector with the unemployed.
Three specific business models emerged from the project: A 'low intervention' model, with centres providing clients limited support, ICT courses, internet access and an awareness of eGovernment; a 'high intervention' model, where centres offer the hands-on support described above to users on services specific to their needs; finally, a 'specific outcomes' model, whereby centres help to support Government campaigns, such as Winter Fuel Allowances, to promote take-up of specific services.
To replicate the pilots' success nationally, issues about centres' funding and support from government at all levels need to be resolved. The Government's new digital strategy, published on 1 April, states that the Department for Education and Skills will lead on work to explore funding opportunities for the centres.
Quelle: eGov monitor, 01.04.2005
