Government urges councils to e-innovate
Kablenet.com
Published: 02 Dec 2004 16:35 GMT
Ministers want councils to submit ideas for using IT to achieve efficiency savings in local government as part of the next stage of the UK's "e-innovations" programme, it was announced on Wednesday.
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is offering £7m for councils to develop projects along four main themes. Along with efficiency savings, they are:
- using IT to tackle "social exclusion";
- better use of technology to improve local authority business processes, including internal service planning and performance management;
- promoting "better leadership" in local government.
Instead of councils bidding for the funding, as in the first round of the e-Innovations Programme, the ODPM says it wants to encourage a "more collaborative style" for developing projects. A letter sent to councils to coincide with the announcement said that Whitehall, the private sector, voluntary organisations, and academia would "work together" with councils to generate proposals.
In the first round, councils developed projects such as text messaging services, wireless technology, and a "virtual town planning" model.
Local government minister Phil Hope said: "Progress towards the 2005 target for e-enabling local authority services is well under way. Councils expect to be 86 percent e-enabled by 1 April next year, but we also need to look further than this."
"The e-innovations fund is designed to help local authorities develop cutting edge ideas and deliver real benefits to the way they do business."
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