IMPLEMENTING ELECTRONIC GOVERNMENT (IEG) STATEMENT

3. TRANSITION

Developing transition plans is crucial to the authority’s ability to manage the task of meeting the 2005 target for all services to be online.

3.1 Leadership

The Council has appointed three Members and a Director as e-champions. They provide leadership and will ensure that performance against e-gov targets is subject to effective scrutiny by both citizens and elected members. (From May 2002 e-gov will be within the portfolio of one Executive Member. Work is currently under way to explore the best location for e-gov within a portfolio of responsibilities)

Progress towards e-gov targets will be monitored by the Council’s Customer Access Programme Board and reported to Strategy Committee. It will be reported under Best Value Performance Indicator 157 and measured within the framework set out in "Local Targets for Electronic Service Delivery" (DTLR 2001)

The implementation of Customer Access and e-gov is led by the Customer Access Programme Manager. The Customer Access Programme Board brings together those with responsibility for delivering the Customer Service, Accommodation, IS/IT and HR aspects of the Programme.

The detailed evaluation and prioritisation of e-gov projects is undertaken by the IT Client Steering Group, which advises the Customer Access Programme Board.

Progress towards electronic service delivery is an element of all Best Value Reviews and will be reported in our annual Best value Performance Plan.

3.2 Finance

The Council has estimated the costs of delivering its Customer Access Strategy and associated Information Systems Strategic Development Plan. The known costs over the five year period are estimated to be around £14m, though it is recognised that this may be an under-estimate. £5m has been identified in the Council’s Financial Plan to 2004 and the Council is aware of the need to identify additional funds.

The Council's overall approach has been one of planned gradual change recognising the complexity of the overall change programme. Early projects were selected for maximum impact because of high level of transactions and /or early efficiency savings.

The Council will treat many of these projects as "invest to save" and build in future clawback of savings within the plans. In the Revenues and Benefits service and for Smartcards future savings have been built into the Council's Financial Plan and similarly for replacement of our financial management systems in the future.

The Council has also prioritised developments where national funding is available such as Peoples’ Network, Care Direct, Allocations & Choice. In each of these cases we still need to clarify the position re: ongoing revenue support.

The ability of the Council to deliver the e-gov targets for 2005 will depend on identifying the necessary additional funding from external sources, including the planned Partnership.

Bath & North East Somerset does not see the incentives of implementing an e-government strategy to be financial ones, it is driven by a commitment to customers to provide better access to quality services. Although the following areas may provide savings in the long term:

It should be anticipated that any efficiency savings will be recycled to feed the resulting likely rise in service demand as a result of availability.

3.3 Property and Asset Planning

The Council currently occupies a wide-range of office accommodation, much of which is unsuitable for modern public service. Our strategy is to move to a single main centre for administrative and democratic management together with about five one-stop shops round the area and information points widely distributed in a range of models and types of location. This will allow disposal of surplus property in due course.

The accommodation strategy takes into account advances in communications and technology leading to a radical reassessment of methods of working within the Council. Issues such as hot-desking and home working will have to be fully researched prior to the level of required accommodation being determined. Key areas underpinning the accommodation strategy include:-

• How we provide services to our customers, including customer access audit and prospects for partnership working.
• The influence of changing technology on how we work, incl. E-Government targets,
• The impact of the Modernisation of Local Government agenda
• Rationalising paper storage and archiving,
• Shared use of office space with other public bodies,
• Risks, strengths and weaknesses of proposed solutions.
• Alternative uses for Council owned buildings currently used as offices.

3.4 Human Resources

Successful delivery of the Council’s Customer Access Strategy and e-gov targets will require many changes to the jobs staff do and the way in which staffing is organised. The Council is launching the second phase of an extensive employee development programme aimed at engaging staff at all levels in the change ahead, and developing the change management capability required. Key elements in 2001/2 and 2002/3 are culture change, business planning, project management and programme management. A lead external partner has been selected to work with the Council to deliver this programme.

The Council has also prioritised development of computer skills amongst its staff (ECDL), and also through programmes for the public including those to be delivered in association with developments such as National Grid for learning and Peoples Network.

Pilots of flexible working are already under way, and the last staff survey showed a majority of staff to be willing to consider flexible working. In addition, pilots will be developed to assess how mobile technology can increase efficiency and effectiveness of staff on site and/or home visits and reduce the requirement for dedicated office space via hot-desking.

In 2002/3 a major priority will be the recruitment and development of staff for the first One Stop Shop, and the associated change management with back office staff. This will be a pilot to establish models of good practice for future developments, and we are drawing heavily on the experience of Beacon Councils for Accessible Services in our planning.

3.5 Changing Customer Needs

Each e-gov project and every service plan is required to demonstrate how it will meet social inclusion and customer feedback and aspirations, as well as the service's progress towards e-government targets. The Customer Access Programme Board researches overall customer needs to inform development of future plans to reach key customer groups, where ever appropriate in partnership with other service providers.

3.6 Partnering

In April 2001, the Council decided to pursue a partnership, primarily for IT Services, but that may also incorporate other (support) services. In order to ensure as full a range of proposals as possible are received the Partnership Project Objectives were agreed as follows:

a) Improved performance and standards of existing and future IT Services

b) Improvement of strategic development and technology capacity including e-government

c) Improvement of IT capability to implement solutions

d) Improvement to the cost effectiveness of the Council's services via IT

A long list of 6 suppliers has been selected and the tenders are being shortlisted at present.

In addition it is part of the remit of the Customer Access Programme Board to identify opportunities for partnership with other agencies and actively promote such partnerships. Many partnership arrangements are already in place, and it is anticipated that these will be streamlined and developed through the development of the Local Strategic partnership in 2002.

3.7 Critical Areas of Risk and Uncertainty

A risk assessment has been undertaken for each of the projects identified in Para 2 and also for the Customer Access Programme as a whole. In summary they include

• Money and other resources such as property - as we have indicated many benefits from improving customer access from e-government projects do not provide direct cost savings. We are also a Council with fragmented offices at present - so the office accommodation strategy is an important part of our management of this risk. In terms of money the Council is trying to mitigate risk by use of a partner, who if possible will share risk with us.
  
  
• Ownership by the Council and Officers of the cultural change necessary within a large organisation - the drive for better customer access and cultural change is something this Council has recognised and been working on for some time. We realised that without looking at infrastructure, processes and culture, implementation of "one stop shops" would be cosmetic. Over the past three years the Council has developed a comprehensive approach to internal communications promoting active engagement of employees in change planning.
  
  
• Complexity of the change process to deliver e-gov targets by 2005. As a small unitary authority we are limited in the range and scale of specialist expertise available in-house. We plan to mitigate this risk as far as possible through following the lead of others via Beacon, Pathfinder etc. and finding tried and tested solutions that can be adapted to our local requirements. We will also mitigate the risk through the proposed Partnership, ensuring that it brings a high level of demonstrated change management capability.
  
  
• Higher risk associated with complex partnership developments involving several public sector service providers each with their own planning frameworks and timeframes, differing imperatives from central government, and differing cultures. This risk has lessened over recent years due to increase in formal planning partnerships, and will be an area for further development via the Local Strategic Partnership.
  
  
• Risk to service standards and continuity during phases of major change leading to loss of public confidence. This risk will be mitigated through extensive public consultation on and publicity about proposed developments alongside action to prioritise service continuity at al times.

• Rapid changes in technology causing obsolescence of key systems – mitigated through partnership arrangement.

• Prioritisation, especially in the light of increased service demands and falling resources - within this area the Council prioritises through the Customer Access Programme Board advised by the IT Client Steering Group. Both have complementary prioritisation models, which include e-government impact in the overall business cases. The Council is expanding its financial planning process to one of "Strategic Risk Management" for the organisation. Strategic risk management builds risk management into the overall planning of all activities of the organisation. The first phase of this has been agreed and there is a standard for corporate project control and gate keeping. We were already planning longer term in financial and service terms for demographic change such as changes in IT skill levels and expectations, and looking for short, medium and longer term financial solutions to the increased service pressures. E government will provide part of that solution as it channels resources into front line service and access. We also plan for uncertainty because of innovation in technology by looking for a partner to share risks and opportunities. The Council is not ideologically opposed to different means of service provision, as long as it achieves the correct outcome, as it has demonstrated in looking for partners and in its future plans.

Overall the IEG statement and associated e-gov strategy will need to be regularly reviewed in the light of changes to technology, customer requirements, etc. The adoption by the Council of a standard model for business planning, project and programme management and risk management enables systematic monitoring and review, and planned change where necessary.

3.8 Technical Infrastructure

The preparation for E-Government has required the Council to review its entire IT infrastructure. This not only covers hardware and software but all the technical processes and procedures that provide support to its working environment. Similarly, this process has highlighted areas where improvements in existing systems are required and implementations of new ones necessary. The following are areas of prime importance: -

IT Strategy

The Council’s IT Strategy is now being revised and updated to ensure that it supports both the Council’s Customer Access and Information System Strategic Development Plan. It is essential to ensure that new ICT systems comply with the e-Government Interoperability Framework (eGIF) and the e-Government Metadata Framework (e-GMF) Full monitoring and co-ordination of all IT projects ensures that all implementations, whether of hardware or software, will provide the functionality, flexibility, scalability and interoperability required. Such strategy and policy documents will be continuously reviewed to ensure their relevance both to technological changes but also to the Council’s operational needs.

Network Infrastructure

Key to the provision of E-Government are resilient and managed Local Area (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN) with sufficient capacity for current and future traffic. Whilst connections between the main Council offices in Bath are via fibre optic cable and links to Keynsham and Midsomer Norton are via low level broadband, WAN connectivity is less robust and of considerably lower bandwidth outside these areas. Much work has been undertaken to improve the overall resilience of the network, particularly in schools; however, significant extra upgrades are required to ensure current and potential sites will enjoy the level of bandwidth required to provide the full range of service delivery. Geographically Bath & North East Somerset is not an easy area to cover and this makes infrastructure more expensive than a purely urban area. Neighbouring authorities are dealing with some of these problems using digital TV, so Bath & North East Somerset will be exploring joining the Somerset On-Line Initiative as a way of promoting access to all areas of the Council.

Mobile Computing and Home working

Recent changes to the Council’s network infrastructure have meant that remote access for users is now more secure and readily available. All service areas of the Council have indicated a particular interest in this mode of operation. Additionally, a joint feasibility investigation is currently being undertaken by Information Development Service and the Council’s Property Services Unit to explore the issues and potential savings available from a mobile and home working initiative. The results of this will be incorporated in the Council’s 5 Year Accommodation Plans and the relevant IT Service Plans.

The Council already has standard E-mail and desktops throughout the Council.

Customer Relationship Management System (CRM)

CRM is the adoption through the use of a set of enabling technologies to provide a highly focussed set of services. Such implementations allow improvement in services, reduction in costs and improved customer knowledge leading to improved service planning. CRM solutions vary significantly both in cost and complexity. The Council is currently examining its options in this area and will select a system that will best match both its current and future needs.

Corporate Data Model (CDM)

In order to deliver a set of joined-up solutions as envisaged under the adoption of a CRM approach, it is equally important to map and comprehend the data held throughout the Council’s various systems. This allows: -

• A common appreciation of the corporate business.

• A common understanding of its data and information needs

• A common set of data links and definitions for information held on its systems.

• A common methodology and standards to support the communication of this understanding.

All local government services are both people and property linked. The CDM will therefore seek to establish a set of common standards for holding, storing and retrieving data together with of rules governing its capture, amendment and flow. The Council is in the process of reviewing all its key customer-facing systems and those which support the latter in order to provide an initial CDM.

Security, Data Protection and Privacy

The fundamental changes in service provision brought about by E-Government have meant that the Council’s security policy has been reviewed and updated. Network and access security has received special attention as these were considered areas of potential risk. All IT procedures and policies are under regular review.

Ascertaining and Sharing Best Practice with Peer Groups and External Bodies

The Council is fostering both formal and informal links with other local authorities and IT providers to ascertain best practice in the provision of IT solutions to support the introduction of E-Government. Of prime importance is its membership of the New Unitary Bodies Group, an association of recently formed Unitary Councils, who share best practice and promote Best Value issues throughout their various services. The IT Sub-Group is particularly active and much valuable work has been undertaken in exchanging information and establishing meaningful sets of Key Performance Indicators. It is anticipated that co-operation and exchange of best practice proposals with continue and grow both with this group. We have also gained great value for the Beacon Council’s for Accessible Services, and anticipate similar benefits from a range of the Pathfinder and ISB projects currently under way.

E Government Target

We have assessed our performance against BVPI 157 and the results are shown in the table below.

Measurement of the BVPI 157 indicator has been added to the requirements for annual service planning and review throughout the Council.

Appendix 2 provides "Progress Against Local Targets for Electronic Service Delivery"

3.9 Skills Need Analysis

The e-gov agenda presents major challenges for Councillors, staff and the public in understanding and managing change to realise the optimum benefits. The Council has a well-developed approach to Member and Employee development, currently working with external partners such as: IDeA on Member Development; Vanguard Education on change management and business process change; PMA on Project and Programme Management; Somerset County Council partnership on European Computer Driving License. Our Adult & Community Education Team are working with Libraries, local Colleges, voluntary sector bodies on community education related to e-gov. A pilot project is planned with disabled adults users of one of our services re: internet use.

We have previously undertaken specific major development programmes such as IT staff development with TBL, Leadership Development with Centre for Enabling Leadership.

Over the coming year we will further evaluate development needs arising from the implementation of e-gov, integrating this within our wider development programmes.

4. Conclusion

Bath & North East Somerset is proud of what has already been achieved with little dedicated resource and through the enthusiasm and innovation of its staff, for instance in the ongoing development of the Council web site . We are seeking to maximise our resources by attracting grants, entering partnership with the private sector and working with other public sector bodies. We will achieve efficiency savings wherever it is possible. But we recognise that much work still needs to be done, and are actively planning, through our Customer Access Programme implementation to achieve e-government targets with what resources we have or can attract. As a pragmatic approach we will target resources to meet priority customer demands, to ensure more access for key council services and client groups.

Appendix 1 - Risk Register
Appendix 2 - Progress Against Local Targets for Electronic Service Delivery (ESD) 
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