Andrew Pinder the UK e-envoy is now spending the majority of his time with Government departments in an attempt to improve their IT initiatives and the way they deliver services online, he told Government Computing News on 13 May 2003. As part of the new push to improve online services, Pinder’s office is planning changes to the Government’s main website, UK Online, aiming to become more of a “one stop shop” with its own content and less redirection to other sites.
Pinder said he is in discussions with other departments and is looking to run some “pilot work” to test out changes to UK Online.
“We want to get more parent content onto the UK Online site. Rather than people having to go to other websites, we want to have our own material,” he said. “It is important that take up of online services is improved. There are around 1250 government websites and we’re expecting people to know how to work their way around government but that isn’t good enough.”
The e-envoy’s office is looking to set up an “extended version” of UK Online, Pinder said, and could even end up with a differently branded site.
Despite reports that his office is in crisis, with one third of its budget slashed, Pinder, whose contract ends in April next year, pledged his commitment to the UK’s e-government programme.
While he said that 70% of his work is now with Government departments “looking at how they can improve delivering their services online and improving the use of IT within Government”, he admitted that he meets resistance in some areas of Whitehall.
“We tell departments that their services aren’t good enough and this draws criticisms because we’re saying things aren’t popular. But that’s just tough,” he said. “What we’ve got to do now is to get departments working together to deliver services.”
Pinder’s office has just launched a new high profile campaign to get more people using the internet.
Together with Patricia Hewitt, the secretary of state for trade and industry, Pinder launched the Get Started campaign in Bethnal Green, London on 13 May.
The six week campaign involves the private and voluntary sectors as well as the Government. During the campaign people will be offered free introductory internet sessions at one of the 6,000 participating UK Online centres.
Partners in the campaign include Microsoft, Cable and Wireless, the BBC, Granada, Age Concern and the Citizens Advice Bureau. The focus is particularly to encourage people who have little or no experience of the internet such as older people and ethnic minorities. One main feature is a story line in the Coronation TV soap involving a UK Online centre.
“My personal project is to get my dad online who is 86,” Pinder said. “It’s a new experience for us doing this sort of campaigning and we’re seeing what we and all the partner organisations can do together.”
Quelle: Kablenet
