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We must ensure that everyone in our society is able to benefit
from the new technologies and the new economy. We are developing
radical policies to bridge the digital divide. We have set
a target that by 2005, all citizens should have access to
the Internet, either in their own homes or through community
access points. We are setting up Information and Communications
Technologies learning centres in partnership with the commercial
sector, and we are investing in schools and in lifelong learning
to ensure that skills in using the new technology are available
to all.
Information Technology is a powerful enabler but the starting
point should always be to identify what the customer wants
and then look to how we use IT to achieve this. The public
sector must embrace new ways of thinking, new ways of doing
business, new alliances and new technology. This is vital
in order to give people the services they want, when they
want them and with the minimum cost and bureaucracy. Electronic
access to government services will become increasingly important
to citizens and by 2005 we plan to have all of our services
available in this way.
This e-government
strategy is a fundamental element in our Modernising Government
programme. It identifies a common framework and direction
for change across the public sector. It establishes a leading
role for the e-Envoy as owner of the programme and a structure
for collaboration between the many organisations on which
its success will depend. The strategy identifies how we will
develop the skills which public servants need to realise in
full these new opportunities.
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