Guidance and Guidelines

Central Local Information Age Government

Central Local Information Age Government Concordat

The establishment of the Central Local Partnership in 1997 demonstrated the commitment of both the Government and the Local Government Association (LGA) to work together in order to strengthen and sustain local government.

A 'Framework for Partnership', signed by the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of the LGA in November 1997, sets down the commitment of central and local government to work together and their agreement that the framework for local service provision should ensure best value and that decision making is more responsive and accountable to local people.

The advent of the Information Age offers tremendous opportunities to transform the public services for all our citizens. In recognition of this fact, central and local government wish to build on the collaborative spirit of the partnership by establishing this Central Local Information Age Government Concordat.

THE CONCORDAT

The Concordat supplements a 'Framework for Partnership' in the areas of information and communications technology (ICT) and electronic service delivery. By so establishing this Concordat, central and local government wish to acknowledge their mutual dependency and respect for each other's roles. In so doing they recognise the need to work in partnership with one another and all appropriate areas of the public service to exploit information and communications technology to transform the delivery of public services for the benefit of the wider community.

To signify this commitment the Government has invited the LGA to nominate a local government representative on the Modernising Government Project Board and the Information Age Government Champions Group; and hereby establishes a Central Local Information Age Forum to work with the Government and LGA (in accordance with the attached Terms of Reference) in carrying forward the following actions:

• The Forum will report regularly to the Modernising Government Project Board on the practical steps needed to develop closer working between government departments, agencies, and local government to exploit innovative ICT solutions.

• The Forum will identify a programme of activities in support of stronger central local co-operation on the ICT aspects of integrated service delivery and advise the Modernising Government Project Board on its implementation.

• The Forum will actively contribute to Government's aims of improving joined-up policy making and joined-up service delivery on ICT issues, and help to develop appropriate links between local government activity and cross-cutting central government ICT initiatives.

• The Government will advise the Forum of any new cross-cutting ICT service delivery initiatives and, where appropriate, will work with local government to ensure that both new and existing initiatives align to the above aims.

• The Forum will establish a consultative process which will encourage government departments, agencies, and local government to work together to exploit innovative ICT solutions.

In addition

• The Forum will undertake to support the Government's target that by 2008, 100% of dealings with Government should be capable of being delivered electronically. It will explore the scope for continuous improvements in electronic service delivery by local government through devising equivalent public targets and benchmarks for integrated service delivery within the context of best value, wherever possible adopting the timetable set out in the Modernising Government White Paper.

• It will work to identify and prioritise the necessary activities needed to carry forward and implement the information age government framework policies as outlined in the Modernising Government White Paper in a central local context.

• It will seek to align information age government objectives with the modernisation agenda for local government and the approaches for Best Value and Beacon Councils as set out in the Modern Local Government - In Touch with the People White Paper.

• And it will collaborate wherever appropriate with the devolved administrations and local government organisations in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Regional Development Agencies in England to assist in the promoting of good central local ICT practice throughout the United Kingdom.

21 JULY 1999

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