Better connected 2003 A snapshot of all local authority websites

Title from coverAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:1946. 983(2003) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Local Government Performance, Cost‐Effectiveness, and Use of the Web: An Empirical Analysis

This article empirically assesses the relationship between government use of the web, service performance, and cost‐effectiveness. It tests and challenges the assumption, prevalent in government thinking and in the Digital Era Governance (DEG) quasi‐paradigm, that the delivery of web‐based public services is associated with better outcomes. English local government is used as a test case, for which (uniquely) good‐quality full‐population time‐series data for council performance, cost, and web quality are available. A new panel data set is constructed covering 2002–2008, allowing the actual relationship between web performance and council cost and quality to be estimated using dynamic regression models which control for both general changes over time and the time‐invariant differences between councils. Consistent growth is shown in the scope and quality of local government web provision. Despite this, and governmental enthusiasm for bringing services online, no association is found between web development and performance, or cost‐effectiveness. The article concludes that governments’ enthusiasm for citizen‐facing digital government is not supported by this empirical data, and that a skeptical view is warranted of DEG's advocacy of digitalization as a core focus for service improvement

Flexible and mobile working : 'I should CoCo!'

Flexible working has moved on from piecemeal implementation of home working, flexitime and hot desking. For progressive organisations, it is now part of the strategy to compete and survive; increasing productivity, cutting costs, serving people better, operating sustainably and contributing to corporate social responsibility. The technology that makes mobile working so easy and effective also supports flexible and home working. Inexpensive, light, fast and easy-to-use devices that are common as consumer products are also the choice of those on the move. Yet portability and attractiveness comes with a downside; these devices are easily lost or stolen, and could be hacked. A heightened security risk brings a heightened security response, and public service organisations that want to use them to modernise service delivery processes may also have to comply with the code of connection (CoCo) to the public service network (PSN). This is a non-trivial task, hence the title of this report. Despite the strong economic business case, some, such as Yahoo!, are turning their backs on flexible working. Does this new trend, and new security issues, suggest that flexible working has gone as far as it can? We think not. This report explores the practice, and makes recommendations for all public service ICT functions, irrespective of the maturity of their take-up of these approaches

A PRINCE for our times? Getting the best out of Agile development with DSDM

Perhaps one of the most obvious identifiers of a digital attitude to business change is a rapid and Agile approach to systems development. Over the years, ICT has developed a reputation for careful, methodical analysis, specification, and waterfall development of new business requirements. Skilled capture of user requirements, followed by a period of development and then presentation of the wonderful new solution. In certain situations this still makes sense. Infrastructural IT projects especially need the discipline of rigorous project management, critical path analysis, and a work package mentality to ensure complexity and integration are carefully managed. But time has also shown us that although users of systems are mostly best placed to describe their needs, these needs are often most well developed where the user can see a solution evolve, generating further ideas and requirements that can be incorporated. This has led to daily ‘stand-up’ meetings and the concept of a state of constant iterative and incremental development. So is it possible for the public sector to integrate its tried-and-trusted PRINCE2 approach to project management with the very different demands of an Agile development approach? We think it is, and have produced a research report in conjunction with the DSDM Consortium to provide practical advice on how we can bring the two approaches together as one

Local government reorganisation The IS/IT implications

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q95/30056 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

The renaissance of local government in the information society

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:q96/06146 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Survey of application software for locally delivered public services

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m00/42845 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Well connected? A snapshot of local authority websites

MAPIT special issue paperAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:f99/1939 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Improving customer service Putting the customer relationship at the centre of local authority

Includes executive briefing paper with highlights from the reportSIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:m02/40108 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo