To deliver the services, both authorities have installed Gandlake Citizen’s Account, a solution that enables local authorities and other businesses to present documents electronically in a secure and authenticated environment.
The Gandlake Citizen’s Account solution is provided as a managed service, meaning a low start up cost and minimal impact to the authorities existing infrastructure.
Citizens of both authorities will now be able to view all current Council Tax and Non Domestic Rate bills as well as balances and the breakdown of their charges. Citizens can also now see a multi-year history of payment information, view installment plans, check payments have been received and print copies of statements. Citizens can interrogate the system online and answer their own queries.
“Across both authorities we manage approximately 37,500 Council Tax and 2,900 Non Domestic Rates accounts and through the scalability of the Gandlake product we’re able to support e-presentment for all of these accounts if required,” said Philip Britton, E-Government Programme Manager at Castle Morpeth Borough Council. “Most importantly for us, the Gandlake solution was ready and available for installation now which is critical given looming Government deadlines. Further, Gandlake Citizen’s Account also gives us the ability to e-present other council services in the future. We are already planning to roll out Housing Rents during the first half of 2006”.
Taking just 2 months to complete the installation, the e-presentment and e-payment service at both authorities went live in October 2005.
“Residents of both local authorities will benefit greatly from the efficiencies gained by introducing Gandlake Citizen’s Account,” said John Gandley, Managing Director, Gandlake. “Our solution provides citizens with a simple, consistent user experience for all their council transactions – and a real sense of joined up government. From the Councils’ point of view, Gandlake Citizen’s Account will allow them to not only modernise but make genuine enhancements to the quality and effectiveness of local services. Also, e-Presentment is expected to reduce the time it takes to resolve queries as it becomes possible for residents to have ‘24-hour access’ to Council information.”
The purchase was completed by a central IT procurement team which operates across both Castle Morpeth Borough Council and Alnwick District Council with the aim of driving cost and operational efficiencies.
Quelle: Publictechnology, 30.01.2006
