UK online Annual Report 2002

Government's Strategy (continued)

Customer-focused Government

We need to make services available that people want to use

We need to make the services people most want to use available as early as possible. Clearly there are benefits from making information about Government services more available - but the potential benefits from e-enabling transactional services are far greater.

Government will give greater focus to enabling and maximising take-up of the key services people most want to use

To drive this forward Government agreed, as part of the Spending Review 2002, to focus on enabling and maximising take-up of key services. Key services are those where the existing volume of business through traditional channels is such that the potential for gaining significant benefits by 2005 - in terms of customer service and efficiency savings - is greatest. Key services include areas such as: services to business; benefits and personal taxation; transport; booking information; education; health; citizen interactions with the justice system; land and property; agriculture and e-democracy. These key services will form a core e-Government Delivery Programme (e-GDP). The e-GDP will aim to ensure that available resources are directed towards those services where successful e-enablement and high take-up will have the greatest impact.

Much of OeE's work is already aimed at mitigating cross-cutting e-Government risks. A significant benefit of the programme management approach we are now taking with the e-GDP, is the ability to conduct a more rounded assessment of the programme risks than would be possible from an individual service perspective. To make sure this happens, OeE will integrate its work more closely into a transparent risk management process for the core e-GDP.

And that includes services delivered by local government

It is crucial to give an equal focus to the delivery of services provided by local government. Local authorities across the country are at the forefront of bringing new forms of service delivery and access to their local communities. The Implementing Electronic Government Statements^[28] demonstrated that there is a wide range of local innovation and good practice underpinning the availability of services.

The Government is determined to build on existing successes by continuing to work in partnership with local councils through the Local Government Online Programme (LGOL). Government has increased the LGOL fund from £350m to £511m as a result of the Spending Review 2002, to cover programme expenditure from 2003/04 to 2005/06.

Local authorities across the country are at the forefront of bringing new forms of service delivery and access to their local communities

Under this programme more than 100 councils have already participated in 25 Pathfinder projects, which aim to develop products ranging from e-Government approaches to community planning, through comprehensive access strategies and back-office integration, to specific technology applications such as smart cards and digital TV (DTV). Over the coming year the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) will facilitate the rollout of these products to the wider local government community.

The ODPM has also established an £80m programme of LGOL National Projects. These will help drive progress in local government, the wider UK online programme, and in key Government departments. They address two strands:

• Key technical building blocks of the e-organisation and the wider national infrastructure;

• Priority services, providing ways for joint central-local electronic services to make concrete contributions to delivering seven service priority areas identified by the Central Local Partnership.

The programme aims to ensure that all councils have access to key electronic services and building blocks, without having to build them from scratch.

The ODPM has also announced the funding for 64 partnership projects aimed at helping deliver better services online. The projects will build on the work councils are undertaking to make the most of new technology in providing better quality and more accessible services to people. They include projects which will scope possibilities for:

• providing people in London and in the North East with smart cards which can be used to access and pay for a range of council services;

• setting up region-wide contact and customer relations centres in Northumberland, West Sussex and Herefordshire;

• enabling people in Devon, Northamptonshire and Derbyshire to access information on all local services through one website in their area.

In April 2002 the Government published its plan setting out how it will work with local government to help deliver all their public services online by 2005. e-gov@local: Towards a national strategy for local e-Government set out the way forward for local e-service delivery, identified building blocks for e-Government and outlined proposed actions at national, regional and local levels. Since the consultation period on e-gov@local closed, the ODPM have been working in partnership with OeE, other Government departments and local government bodies to devise a comprehensive national strategy.

Overcoming barriers to use

To ensure widespread take-up, e-Government services need to enjoy the trust and confidence of those they serve. We are addressing this in three ways: gaining people's trust in the way data will be used; ensuring that systems are secure; and addressing the need for public services to authenticate each other and their customers.

Building Trust: Public Services Trust Charter

It is essential that customers of electronic public services have confidence in how their personal data are handled. In line with the commitment in the Performance Innovation Unit's (PIU) report e.gov: Electronic Government Services for the 21st Century^[29], OeE published a draft e-Trust Charter and supporting guidance in 2001^[30].

The Public Services Trust Charter published for public consultation in the PIU report 'Privacy and Data Sharing: The Way Forward for Public Services'^[31] subsumes the draft e-Trust Charter and was developed by the PIU in partnership with OeE.

The LCD is now in the lead on the Public Services Trust Charter. Following an initial consultation which closed in July, LCD will launch a detailed second round consultation on the Charter, taking into account feedback from the first consultation. The Charter - and its supporting framework of protocols and service-specific statements - will set out clear and rigourous standards for the use of personal data by the public sector. In doing so, it will help to secure public confidence in the use of that data and so help underpin effective data-sharing.

Security

People need to be confident that Government systems are secure before they will consider using them for transactions. As public sector services join up and become interconnected and more services come online, a common approach to security becomes increasingly important - especially since electronic attacks on IT systems are increasingly sophisticated and frequent. At the beginning of 2002, OeE published a set of Security Policy Frameworks for public consultation^[32]. These define a common security standard for e-Government service delivery.

Authentication in Government

As Government business relies increasingly on electronic systems, the need for public sector users to authenticate each other will also increase. A number of departments and other public sector bodies are establishing separate internal Public Key Infrastructures (PKIs)^[33]. Government has been piloting an 'HMG Root Certificate Authority' to enable different public sector PKIs to be linked into a trust hierarchy. This will enable departments to become part of the same hierarchical trusted infrastructure and allow officials in different parts of the public sector to authenticate each other.

OeE will put this 'Root Certificate Authority' pilot system onto a permanent footing and consider how we might use the infrastructure of the Government Secure Intranet (GSI) to provide an authentication service to those public sector bodies that will not be operating their own PKI.

In the longer term, OeE will investigate how we might extend this trust model so that individuals and business users outside the public sector can authenticate those in the public sector when they are carrying out online transactions with them.

Authentication for businesses and people

Some 15% to 20% of e-Government services require strong authentication of the individual or business user. This is either because the service provides sensitive information to the user, and Government must be sure that it is providing that information to the right person; or because the user is entering into a commitment with Government and Government has to be assured of the information provided.

The Government has been working with industry to ensure that both the public and private sectors can benefit from commercial authentication and trust services. However, the market in trust services is growing slowly and the low take-up of these services could be a barrier to the delivery of e-Government. The Government is working to remove this barrier.

OeE is developing two policy frameworks setting out Government's vision and strategy for the use of third party authentication services in transactions between: 'Businesses and Government' and 'Citizens and Government'. These discuss ways in which the Government might encourage the widespread availability and use of authentication services. Consultation on these frameworks will begin by Q4/2002.

Providing access in ways that people want

Equally important as overcoming barriers to change, is to provide services in ways that people want to access them. Delivering services in a multi-channel environment raises new challenges. Strategic planners within public sector organisations face complex decisions regarding the appropriate mix of channel deployment for delivering best value, for both the organisation and customers.

Channels framework

OeE has produced a 'Channels Framework' which provides high level guidance to public sector strategic planners on developing a channels strategy. The framework provides an overview of the current position regarding channels. It emphasises the importance of an appropriate channel mix in considering multiple devices and content issues in delivering e-Government services to different segments of the population. The framework also outlines the role of intermediaries as a channel for delivery and some of the business issues related to this. OeE consulted on the framework in Autumn 2001 and published it in September 2002.

Almost everyone in the UK has a TV set. Interactive and internet services on DTV present us with a tremendous opportunity to overcome the digital divide and give citizens access to the emerging knowledge economy from the comfort of their homes in a socially inclusive way. But if this exciting and strategic medium is to deliver its full promise, it will require Government (central and local), industry, media and other leading bodies to work in close partnership following a co-ordinated approach.

OeE has published a 'DTV Policy Framework'^[34] consultation which outlines the importance of this channel and the actions required across Government to use DTV as a key medium for delivery of public services. The framework has been developed in the context of the wider Digital Television Action Plan, developed by the DTI and the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), with public and private sector stakeholders. The Action Plan sets out the work required before the UK can fully switch over to digital transmission.

Smart Cards

Around 1.7 billion smart cards are currently in use across the globe. They are potentially a key enabler in encouraging access to both Government services and e-commerce - whether they carry only one application or several. There is a significant level of activity across the public sector in relation to smart card trials and rollouts. But it is fragmented and faces many common challenges and barriers.

This fragmentation limits the ability of smart cards to capitalise on a common vision or integrated service offerings. Likewise they are limited in their potential for sharing infrastructure or for driving standards, which promote interoperability. Clearly there is a need for common standards for smart cards so that they can be used to enable online transactions.

The e-Government programme is also about the process of Government itself

e-Democracy and Public Participation

Driving forward citizen participation in democracy^[35] is one of the commitments to getting Government online - and is an area where the UK is a leader in our international benchmarking group. Through the use of ICT Government aims to increase citizens' opportunities to participate in the democratic process - and make it easier for Government, representatives and political parties to seek the views, knowledge and experience of people.

e-democracy policy is underpinned by five principles: inclusion, openness, security and privacy, responsiveness and deliberation

OeE, with the ODPM and the LCD, is taking the lead in developing the UK Government's policy for e-democracy. This is based on two separate but interdependent tracks: electronic participation (e-participation); and electronic voting (e-voting). The two tracks are underpinned by five key principles: inclusion; openness; security and privacy; responsiveness; and deliberation.

On 16 July the Government published its proposed policy on e-democracy, entitled In the Service of Democracy^[36]. The Government will publish its response to the consultation in Spring 2003.

e-Participation

Increased public participation should lead to better policy making - and to more customer-focused public services. Technology is already helping people and organisations to participate more effectively. The objectives of the Government's policy are to facilitate, broaden and deepen participation in the democratic process.

Facilitating participation means making it easier for citizens to exercise their democratic rights. Broadening means bringing a wider range of people into the democratic process. New technology can make it easier for people to access public information, follow the political process, discuss and form groups, get engaged in policy formation, scrutinise Government and vote in elections. We want to give people more flexible ways to participate which reflect the variety and complexity of modern lifestyles.

Deepening participation means going beyond a single exchange to a more sustained, in-depth interaction. New technology can help to build strong and active relationships between citizens and all levels of representative institutions, between citizens and Government, citizens and political parties and between groups of citizens. These relationships need to be based on dialogue and consultation. The Government and representatives must seek to understand people's needs, values and experiences better. And citizens should seek to contribute actively with their knowledge.

The objectives of e-democracy are to facilitate, broaden and deepen participation in the democratic process

CitizenSpace on ukonline.gov.uk [www.ukonline.gov.uk] now offers better opportunities for democratic participation. During the e-democracy consultation an online discussion group, hosted on CitizenSpace, played a major role. CitizenSpace is still evolving and its final form - as a place to encourage online democratic participation and a "first-stop" for Government consultations - will reflect the comments and responses received as a result of the e-democracy consultation.

OeE is looking at whether:

• 100% of central Government public consultations should be accessible via CitizenSpace on ukonline.gov.uk;

• all consultations on Green or White Papers should include a moderated public discussion forum, hosted on CitizenSpace;

• feedback reports from all public consultations should be published online in a timely and transparent way;

• all central Government public consultations should encompass strategies on using online consultations to engage key stakeholders, and especially 'hard-to-reach groups', in the process.

Following the Government's response to the consultation on e-democracy, OeE will consider:

• how to integrate electronic participation with current approaches to policy-making and consultation;

• which methods of e-participation work best for different purposes;

• whether to establish common infrastructure and tools for e-participation through all levels of Government;

• the financial and human resource needs;

• appropriate leadership and guidance to effectively integrate e-participation in the policy-making process.

e-Voting

Elections must be accessible to all and must suit modern lifestyles and habits. They should encourage rather than discourage participation. They should catch the imagination and seek to engage citizens.

Changing the voting system will not in itself address the issue of how to engage people politically. Low levels of voter participation are a serious matter and go to the heart of our democratic system. It is right that Government looks at making the electoral system easier to use and more relevant to today's society.

In other parts of the world, e-voting has been successfully used on a large scale: in the general elections held in Brazil in October, 115 million voters cast their votes electronically at electronic ballot boxes, for the 18,600 candidates that were standing for 1,600 elective post around the country. Only around 1.6% of the 300,000 or so electronic ballot boxes proved defective. Most of these were replaced in time for the vote. Voters could watch the count in real time by downloading a special programme from the Brazilian Federal Court's website (www.tse.gov.br).

In the 2002 general elections in the Republic of Ireland up to a quarter of a million voters in three constituencies were able to cast their votes electronically. Voting machines were placed in polling stations and, after eligibility had been checked against the electoral roll in the usual way, voter were allowed to vote at machines which showed the candidates' names and photographs. The system was being piloted in advance of its widespread use in the 2004 local elections.

The Government aims to set in train a practical and achievable programme for the implementation of e-voting. In partnership with English and Welsh local authorities and the Electoral Commission, the Government is promoting a programme of piloting innovations at local elections, particularly involving e-voting and all-postal voting. This will be crucial in building public confidence and testing the robustness of the new facilities.

The Spending Review White Paper^[37] announced the allocation of £10m per year to e-voting, as part of the LGOL fund allocated to the ODPM. It will support the e-voting programme outlined in the Service of Democracy including more experiments in e-voting based on local government elections. A programme of work to achieve successful implementation of e-voting is already under way to ensure that robust systems can be in place for an e-enabled General Election after 2006. This will need extensive piloting and an incremental roll-out, together with a programme of research.

The election result in St. Albans was announced just four minutes after the polls closed, as a result of e-voting and counting at the May 2002 local elections

At the May 2002 local elections there were 30 such pilots. 16 local authorities undertook electoral pilots with e-activity and 13 other authorities tried out other innovations such as all postal ballots. Of the 16 e-pilots, nine offered multi-channel and electronic voting, which included e-counting. A further seven offered e-counting together with traditional voting or all-postal ballots. As a result of piloting e-voting and counting, the election result in St Albans was announced just four minutes after the polls closed.

The Electoral Commission evaluated these pilots and published their reports on 1st August. At the same time, the Commission published and presented to the Deputy Prime Minister an overview report^[38], giving a strategic evaluation of the whole 2002 pilot programme. This report concluded that:

• the pilots successfully increased the opportunity for voting (for example over 10% of the electorate - 4,300 people - in Swindon voted via the Council's website and most found it easy and convenient);

• they secured significant increases in turnout in some areas (particularly with all-postal voting);

• the process was well managed by local authorities and there were no significant technical problems;

• there was no evidence that fears of fraud were realised in practice.

The Commission's report also made a number of recommendations for the future pilot programme in the light of experience.

At the end of September, OeE, with the Electoral Commission, the Local Government Association and the ODPM, launched their prospectus inviting local authorities to participate in the 2003 electoral pilot scheme. The main focus of the pilot programme is to extend the pilot schemes to authority-wide level, to look at schemes that have not been piloted, or where specific issues have not yet been tested fully. In particular, it encourages councils to focus on one of the following:

• voting through electronic media;

• e-counting (as part of an e-enabled package);

• all-postal voting (especially incorporating proposals for testing alternative fraud and security arrangements);

• other innovative procedures and ideas about the electoral process.

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