What

e-Government is about using technology creatively to bring direct benefits to you. It's making services more responsive so you don't get passed from one place to another when you need information, have a problem to solve or require a service.

It's not about replacing traditional methods of contacting us or obtaining services in person, by telephone or in writing. It's about using the latest technology to improve these systems and offer new ways of dealing with us.

Where

Providing good public services depends on co-operation between councils and a range of other public, voluntary, community and private sector bodies across Devon. We will be working closely with our countywide and local partners to deliver the electronic solutions that will meet peoples needs.

When

100% of county council services capable of being delivered electronically will be available by the end of 2004.

95% of residents will have to travel less than 3 miles to their nearest service access point.

Half of the hardest to reach residents will have access to a mobile community access and learning point.

Why

We wish to provide information and services that are:

• Joined up in ways that are useful and make sense to you
• Accessible at times and places most convenient to you
• Delivered or supported electronically giving you faster, more reliable and better value services
• Delivered seamlessly so that you are not asked to provide the same information more than once and if you need information or advice from more than one organisation you will get it without fuss
• Open and accountable so that it is easier to get information about us, what we do and the way we work, easier to contact us by a wide variety of means and easier to get involved in local decision making
• Used by citizens and that means everybody

How

We intend to:

• agree a model for developing contact centres and one stop shops
• establish a citizen consultation and involvement strategy
• introduce a new mobile information service
• implement more electronic services, online includes online ordering and purchasing
• re-design the county council's website to make access to information easier
• implement a single Devon website covering services provided by all members of the Devon e-Government partnership
• start Internet broadcasting of council business
• implement new online services to support county councillors
• provide training for councillors and staff so that we are ready for the changes that will take place over the next few years

How will to it all be paid for?

Developing e-Government services such as Call Centres and One Stop Shops will require a high level of investment. During 2002-2005 we are proposing to invest almost £7.7 million in this programme 73% of that will come from the Government and 27% from the county council's own budgets.

Want to get involved?

We would like to receive expressions of interest from organisations, public bodies and citizens who would like to work in partnership with us to implement e-Government

We would particularly like to hear from any community-based organisations that can help us develop community access points, contact centres, one stop shops and focus groups. Also any organisations that are already providing IT skills training and education in Devon

View the 'New Ways' document, outlining our aims in more detail