The UK Government should pay private and voluntary sectors to deliver public e-services, according to an influential report published on 24 November 2003. Organisations outside the public sector need incentives to deliver e-government, says the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) report, but despite much talk of an intermediaries policy in Whitehall, so far, little progress has been made.
Although the Office of the e-Envoy wants to encourage "intermediaries" to deliver e-services, its programme needs to be driven forward, says the IPPR.
At the moment, the Government's position on payment to intermediaries is too "ambiguous", says the report, but organisations will need incentives if they are to consider delivering e-services.
Also, if an intermediaries policy is to work, clear lines of accountability are needed, with measures in place to ensure that the public knows which organisation is delivering the service, the IPPR says.
In addition, the Government body tasked with driving forward the intermediaries policy will need "sufficient powers" to get Whitehall departments to cooperate.
"The government has been talking about creating a mixed economy in e-services for three years now but progress has been virtually non-existent," said Ian Kearns, IPPR associate director and author of the report.
"Three things need to come together if progress is to be made. First, the government should pay private and voluntary sector bodies to deliver e-services.
"Second, further measures must be put in place to protect public accountability and social equity.
"Third more power needs to be given to those tasked with driving the policy forward. It is only with all these elements in place that the government can hope to create the right incentives for intermediaries and the political and bureaucratic will for change.
"With the Office of the e-Envoy planning to publish the first iteration of Implementation Guidelines by the end of 2003 they will need to move fast to take these issues on board."
Quelle: Kablenet, 24.11.2003
