The Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions wants comments on a draft e-Government strategy which seeks to bring together services provided by councils, the health service, police and local community and voluntary organizations. See Publicnet Briefing 18 March 2002 – Call for Local e-Government Strategy. It sets out a vision of all services available on-line by 2005, describes the building blocks for delivering e-government and outlines a route map of what needs to be done nationally, regionally and locally.The draft strategy draws on the 400 strategies produced by councils last summer. At the heart of the draft is a framework for joining up services in a way that makes sense to the customer. Customers will have more choice over the way in which they contact and receive public services. These will include interactive Digital TV, personalised websites, smartcards, mobile technology, telephone, as well as over the counter. The draft strategy sets clear guidelines for delivering services jointly through single outlets whether they are hosted by local authorities, government departments or agencies, voluntary or community organisations or local facilities like shops or post offices. Services will be delivered seamlessly so that customers only provide the information once. The draft also makes provision for citizens to participate in local decision making in many ways, including online discussion, live polls, webcasts, referenda and consultations.

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The announcement of the themes for Round Four of the Beacon Schemes reveal a more strategic approach to delivery of services and provide a boost for joined up working. The Beacon Council Scheme was established in 1999 to select a number of councils to act as pace setters and centres of excellence. Applications for Round Four will be invited in July 2002. and Councils will be invited to submit applications by October 2002. The successful councils will be announced in April next year. Details of themes for rounds five and six have also been published.Supporting social inclusion through Information and Communication Technologies has been included as a theme to counter the risks of a digital divide. The barriers that inhibit access to new technologies include poor skills, low confidence, unattractive content and cost. The Beacon scheme is looking to identify Local Authorities that are working to close the digital divide and to expand access to and take up of local services online. It is hoped that the successful councils will demonstrate how awareness of the opportunities offered by ICTs can be raised, and how advice and skills support can be made available to local people.

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