Public bodies will now be able to subscribe to Publicnet Briefing through a five year news and information framework contract arranged by the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency. The contract brings the benefit of aggregated procurement power to give value for money and government terms and conditions. This is the first time news and information services have been included in a government framework contract.The contract represents a breakthrough in bringing down the barriers between the different areas of the public sector and between different professional groupings. News and views are being increasingly gathered from a wide range of people across the public sector and the opportunity to share knowledge and good practice with a wider audience will support the aim of cross boundary working.
Mystery shoppers, working for the Cabinet Office, who walked into offices of local councils and registrars of births, marriages and deaths, the Benefits Agency, and Job Centres found no signs of joined up government. They also found that the quality of service was generally low. These depressing findings have led to an Action Plan to deliver seamless, simplified and more helpful services.Every year 2.5m households change their address and because there is no joined up working, these changes generate 20m transactions. Currently, e-mail cannot be used to notify a change. The Action Plan envisages, in the long term, that only one notification of a change will be necessary and this will trigger an advice to all other public bodies. The short term target is to set up a Government Gateway by December 1999 and launch a pilot notification system using two departments. This will be extended to a national pilot by 2001.
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2Ginsburg, Sigmund G.Provides special advice for people who are demoralized by downsizing, rightsizing, lateralizing, and seeking to make work meaningful. A timely theme for the legions who want to arrange their work-life and put their heart into it. Excellent for those seeking early retirement and those juggling both family and career.
Read more on MANAGING WITH PASSION: MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR JOB AND YOUR LIFE…