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Information Age Government
The Information Age revolution has already brought huge changes
to both manufacturing and service industries all over the
world. It has driven down costs, brought suppliers closer
to customers, and made them more responsive to their needs.
The Government has launched initiatives to make the United
Kingdom a world leader in e-commerce and to make access available
to all. This third initiative, e-government,
will ensure that government itself will play a full part in
this radical transformation of our society. Complementary
initiatives for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will
extend coverage throughout the UK.
e-government
fulfils the commitment in the Modernising Government White
Paper to publish a strategy for Information Age Government.
It focuses on better services for citizens and businesses
and more effective use of the Government’s information
resources. Implementing it will create an environment for
the transformation of government activities by the application
of e-business methods throughout the public sector. The strategy
challenges all public sector organisations to innovate, and
it challenges the centre of government to provide the common
infrastructure which is needed to achieve these goals.
e-government
has four guiding principles
- building services around citizens’ choices
- making government and its services more accessible
- social inclusion
- using information better.
Citizen-focused government
When people interact with government they want to do so on
their own terms. They want high quality services which are
accessible, convenient and secure. People should not need
to understand how government is organised, or to know which
department or agency does what, or whether a function is exercised
by central or local government. We need a strategy that will
provide this - by helping departments and agencies, central
and local government, co-operate in new partnerships that
will offer their services in ways that make sense to the customer.
We need to form partnerships with innovators in the private
sector who can find new ways of meeting changing patterns
of demand.
Accessible services
The Government intends that all services which can be electronically
delivered should be. The strategy proposes that they should
be accessible over the Internet and through mobile phones,
digital TV, and call centres as well as through personal computers.
The mix for any service will be determined in relation to
demand. Electronic service delivery does not do away with
the need for personal contact and this must be better supported.
Services should be tailored to individuals’ needs. The
Government will develop a business portal, initially for small-
and medium- sized enterprises, and a personalised ‘home
page’ for individuals. It will do so in a non-exclusive
way and will create the conditions for others, including commercial
enterprises, to create innovative service offerings.
New ways of doing business will change the relationship between
individuals and government. Access to information will be
firmly established under the Freedom of Information legislation
and government organisations will be more responsive to citizens’
views. At the same time, it will be vital to make sure that
people can trust the systems we use, by ensuring that their
personal data is protected and that systems are secure.
Inclusiveness
New services must be developed so that they are available
to all and easy to use. Digital TV and mobile phones will
become increasingly important as a means of accessing the
Internet. The Government is committed to making it easier
for all people to get access, whether individually or through
community facilities. The telephone will remain a preferred
means of contact for many. Call centres must be improved by
giving their staff access to information networks that will
enable them to provide better service. Better information
systems will support the work of those who have face to face
contact with the public.
Online public services must be well designed and accessible
to all. This includes providing services for minority language
groups and those with disability or limited mobility.
e-government is an opportunity to enhance the services which
are provided to UK citizens overseas, EU citizens and others
overseas who wish to do business with or visit the UK. This
is likely to be a stimulus to provide further multilingual
services.
Managing information
The Government’s knowledge and information are valuable
resources. At the heart of this programme is the need for
the public sector to make the best use of them. Implementing
the strategy requires organisations to adopt coherent and
compatible information policies in support of better policy
making, better service delivery and more efficient working.
Managing change
This strategy encourages innovators in government to identify
new ways of working in partnership with the private sector.
It identifies the need for a strong lead and effective support
from the centre.
The e-Envoy,
supported by the Information Age Government Champions, will
- own the strategy
- articulate a detailed change programme
- lead its implementation
- support the Chief Secretary of the Treasury and the e-Minister
in a cross-cutting review in the 2000 spending review on
the knowledge economy, which will consider the funding of
electronic government
- identify new opportunities for cross-cutting initiatives
- report regularly on progress to Ministers.
The Central IT Unit
(CITU) in the Cabinet Office, in collaboration with
counterparts in the devolved administrations and lead agencies,
will
- support citizen-focused service integration
- lead implementation of framework policies, standards and
guidelines
- promote shared infrastructure and applications
- establish a government portal
- promote common policies on the management of information.
Public sector organisations
[1] will
- establish new ways of doing business
- implement common standards and framework policies
- develop e-business strategies
- provide services which are accessible via the government
and other portals.
[1] For further advice on implementing the strategy in
local authorities see Implementing e-government
- guidelines for local government.
Taking the strategy forward will need commitment and investment
across the public sector and openness to innovative ideas.
The next year’s milestones include
- May 2000: completion of the CITU study of major IT projects
- July 2000: publication of the outcome of the 2000 spending
review
- July 2000: publication of the Performance and Innovation
Unit report on new ideas and approaches to government electronic
service delivery
- October 2000: submission of initial e-business strategies
to the e-Envoy
- December 2000: the e-Envoy’s first report to Ministers
on the progress of the strategy.
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