Today 261

Yesterday 897

All 39396917

Friday, 29.03.2024
eGovernment Forschung seit 2001 | eGovernment Research since 2001
Customer service directors working across departments are part of the long awaited e-government strategy

A new cross cutting team to promote shared services, public services via mobile phones and "customer service directors" in Whitehall are all part of the Transformational Government strategy published on 2 November 2005.

The strategy, released on the chief information officers' website, aims to take e-government forward over the next decade.

Much of the document has already been heavily trailed. It highlights the new professionalisation agenda for IT which aims to tackle the poor record on projects, promotes shared services and addresses "challenges" such as securing people's identity online.

Announcing the plans, cabinet office minister John Hutton said: "I am publishing a cross-government strategy today to ensure government uses technology more effectively to deliver better services that are focussed on the needs of the customer."

"We will also increase value for money for taxpayers by transforming the way public services join up back office services such as HR, IT and finance. Through innovative use of technology we can save money and deliver faster and better services for people."

Cutting down on the number of call centres is a key part of the plans. Head of the e-Government Unit Ian Watmore said that the focus is on rationalising IT.

He said that improving customer service will involve "slimming down the 130 call centres in central government, fewer government web sites with more use of DirectGov and Businesslink as the primary online entry point for customers. People will also be able to access information about their own records to reduce the cost of handling simple enquiries."

Under the plans the new post of Customer Service Director will serve specific groups such as old people, those on benefits or farmers. Also, a Service Transformation Board, comprised of officials from the wider public sector, will oversee common standards for IT products and will set "operational strategy" developing new channels for access to public services.

The IT industry has welcomed the plans as a "positive step". Trade body Intellect announced its own plans to set up a Public Sector Council to help take the strategy forward.

Intellect has developed the council in an attempt to further strengthen suppliers relationship with government customers. It will provide a forum for the supplier community to "discuss and disseminate industry views" to work closely with the e-Government Unit to implement the supplier management aspect of the strategy.

Intellect director general John Higgins said it will work alongside existing mechanisms for communication between the government and its suppliers.

"Over the coming months the Public Sector Council will work to impress on the eGovernment Unit the need for government customers to demonstrate fairness, understanding and proportionality on matters that are of key importance to commercial companies. To develop a more intelligent customer capability, and to continue to build a closer relationship with Industry through Intellect's IT Supplier Code of Best Practice and Intellect's Concept Viability service. We believe that the Public Sector Council will create a seamless communication process between Industry and government, and in parallel with the continuing work of the Senior IT Forum we believe that long term, positive change can be achieved."

Quelle: KableNET, 02.11.2005

Go to top