IP: UK Green Paper on Electronic Delivery of Government

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

To: farber () cis upenn edu
From: Brian.Randell () newcastle ac uk (Brian Randell)


Dave:


Here's some UK government thinking and opinion-sampling about the use of
the net.


Cheers


Brian


========




       A prospectus for the Electronic Delivery of Government Services


           (from http://www.open.gov.uk/citu/cituhome.htm)


> From the Introduction:


1.1 Over the past 20 years information technology, or IT, has transformed
everyday life. Whenever we obtain money from a cash machine at a bank or
building society, whenever our purchases are passed through the laser
scanner at a supermarket checkout, whenever we pay for a purchase with a
credit or debit card, whenever a travel agent books a holiday for us with a
major travel company, or whenever we make a call from a mobile phone, we
are using powerful examples of modern information technology.


1.2 Government too has made extensive use of information technology, which
now supports services to the public across the full range of government
functions. However, unlike the examples from the private sector, government
information technology is usually hidden from public view. In most cases,
citizens or businesses who deal with government are expected to fill in
paper forms and send or take them to a place where the information they
contain can be fed into a computer. After processing, the response from
government is printed out on paper and sent back through the post.


1.3 Information technology now makes it possible for citizens and
businesses to deal directly with government if they wish to do so. As
subsequent sections of this Green Paper will show, this will give them
access to services with quicker - sometimes immediate - responses, which
are available in more convenient places and at more convenient times. To
draw a parallel with the private sector: in order to withdraw money from a
bank or building society it was once necessary to fill in a cheque or a
withdrawal slip, and take it to the counter when the bank or building
society was open. Now, for those customers who choose, money can be
withdrawn from a cash machine without form-filling, at any time of the  day
or night, seven days a week. The Government wants to bring the same or
better levels of convenience to the services that it delivers directly to
individual citizens and to businesses in the UK.


1.4 This Green Paper sets out a prospectus - a strategy - for a new way of
delivering central government services across the United Kingdom. These
services include providing information, collecting taxes, granting
licences, administering regulations, paying grants and benefits, collecting
and analysing statistics, and procuring goods and services. The Government
intends to collaborate with Local Authorities in the delivery of services
wherever possible. The strategy also includes new ways of working and
sharing information between government departments and agencies which would
improve efficiency.


1.5 The new forms of service delivery will be more efficient, more
accessible and more convenient and they will also appear quite different
from the arrangements we are all used to. They will only work if a
substantial proportion of the public (both businesses and citizens) find
the new forms of service delivery attractive. The Government wants, as far
as is practicable, to tailor the new types of service to public demand. The
purpose of this Green Paper is to seek public reaction to the service
delivery arrangements it describes. Throughout the paper questions are
posed to indicate the issues on which the Government would particularly
welcome comment; but reaction on any of the material in the Paper is also
welcome. Immediately after the Green Paper is launched, the Government will
initiate a series of pilot schemes, so that members of the public can try
the new forms of service delivery for themselves. Their reactions will
shape the arrangements which are eventually launched on a national scale.


1.6 This Green Paper is addressed in the first instance to those who act as
representatives of the general public, both citizens and businesses. Copies
are available on sale from HMSO and its agents. The Green Paper can also be
accessed via the World Wide Web at
http://www.open.gov.uk/citu/cituhome.htm.




Dept. of Computing Science, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne,
NE1 7RU, UK
EMAIL = Brian.Randell () newcastle ac uk   PHONE = +44 191 222 7923
FAX = +44 191 222 8232  URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/~brian.randell/