Sharing back office systems to produce efficiency savings has been on the agenda for many years. But there has been little progress with limited take-up, despite encouragement such as the Audit Commission’s check list to help councils find out where they are on the move towards shared systems, published in autumn 2008. Ministers have now decided that the time for encouragement is over and that arm twisting is both needed and justified given the state of public finances. The pain for failure to respond will be publicity for poor performers and a financial penalty.

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Randwick Council in Australia is now benefiting from a community text service developed in the UK. The service provided by Dialogue Communications gives local residents information on Council services ranging from playing field status, local road works, clean up days and events, instantaneously via the Internet or mobile SMS.

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This programme is now available to view on egovtv.tv, the online television channel for public service modernisation. Margaret Eaton, Local Government Association Chair, describes the challenges facing local government as the UK goes through recession and how councils are responding.

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