Below are the topics within this strategy

You can also request a printed copy here

Contents
1. What is e-Government?
2. A Vision of the future
3. What are we doing about e-Government in Devon?
4. What are we planning to do now?
5. Our targets for delivering e-Government
6. Working together in partnership
7. How will it all be paid for?
8. Let us know what you think
9. Getting involved

1.What is e-Government?

New Ways describes the County Council's approach to electronic government. e-Government, as we call it, is about using the latest technology to help us provide more accessible, convenient and cost effective services to you.

This means making full use of things like the Internet, digital TV and Contact Centres to give you more choice about how and when you get in touch with us.

It's also about making services more responsive so you don't get passed from one place to another when you need information or have a problem to solve.

We also want to be more open and accountable and encourage people to take part in local decision making including online discussion, live polls, Internet broadcasting, and consultations.

To sum up, e-Government is about using technology creatively to bring direct benefits to you.

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2. A Vision of the future

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

Some aspects of our services could look very different in future. Over the coming years we will look to develop many more ways 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

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3. What are we doing about e-Government in Devon?

What are we doing about e-Government in Devon?
In Devon there are already many examples of information and communication technology being used to improve our services to you.

• Online libraries - All Devon libraries now have Internet connections available for public use
• Care Direct (0800 444 000) - is a joint agency Call Centre providing information and advice about social care, welfare benefits, housing and community health services to the over 60s and their carers
• Latest News - During the Devon public inquiry into Foot and Mouth, live broadcasts of proceedings were transmitted over the Internet and our online news pages were visited 60,000 times. Many people also submitted evidence by electronic mail
• Promoting tourism - Tourism in the county is promoted via the Devon Holiday Line (0870 608 5531) linked to the latest online Devon Visitor information on the Council's website.

Over the coming years we want to build on these examples and develop many more ways to provide information and services in creative ways that meet local needs.

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4. What are we planning to do now?

It is impossible to predict what the world will be like in five years time but we have set out a vision of the ways we are planning to use available technology to change the way we work. This includes plans to:

Make it easier for you to contact us and have your enquiry dealt with
The Council has already set up a number of services to make it easier for you to contact us and obtain information, such as information centres in libraries, new telephone Helpdesks in Social Services and the Council website.

In the future, we plan to develop:

• more joined up services with other organisations so it is easier for you to get the information and help you need
• more up to date information about all services on the Internet, which you will be able to access from a variety of places which may include home or office (through computers and digital television), by visiting libraries, using public information kiosks or electronic notice boards
• a Contact Centre approach so that you will be able to make a single telephone call, or send an email message, to trained staff who will be able to use the Internet based information systems to deal with your enquiry
• more local One-Stop Shops where you will be able to talk to someone who can deal with all aspects of your enquiry
• on line access so you can see all your records stored on our computers

Make it easier for you to carry out business with us
This includes:

• Introducing electronic transactions into the County Council wherever that can be done
• For example, for the purchase of goods and services and issuing licences and concessions
• Providing as many services as possible 'online' through our website offering the opportunity to use 'Smart Cards' to undertake some of these transactions

Change the way our staff carry out their work
We want to:

• give staff access to the information and systems they need, wherever they are
• train more staff in using that information to support developments such as One-Stop Shops or Contact Centres
• enable more staff to work in new locations and more flexibly, at home or at drop-in offices
• develop electronic systems where possible, not paper forms

Support local democracy
We intend to:

• give you more opportunity to have your say
• provide more information to Councillors through our website so it is easily accessible and relevant to the area they represent
• encourage more constituency business to be done by email
• provide equipment to reduce the amount of paper consumed in supporting Councillors' activities
• broadcast key Council meetings via the Internet
• implement any national electronic voting systems

Make it easier for you to get involved
We intend to:

• consult widely on service issues
• give you opportunities to give us your views about local issues and needs
• enable your voice to be heard through local Focus Groups
• invite you to take part in service development
• provide you with online discussion facilities

Include everyone in this vision
It will be difficult for some groups in Devon to access the benefits of the new technologies. For example, people over the age of 65 have the lowest rate of access to home computers. For others living in remote parts of the county, access to public transport, and therefore our services and offices, can be difficult.

To help we aim to:

• build a network of different access points and methods while ensuring we offer the same services to everyone either by telephone, face to face or through the Internet
• consult with communities, individuals and organisations to develop our understanding of the barriers that prevent people using new technology and put solutions in place
• continue to develop learning opportunities for everyone

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5. Our targets for delivering e-Government

In Devon, we aim to ensure that:

• 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

During the remainder of 2002 we intend to

• agree the County Council's e-Government strategy
• agree the Council's public access strategy (a model for developing Contact Centres and One Stop Shops)
• establish a citizen consultation and involvement strategy
• redesign the County Council website to make access to information easier
• start updating IT equipment issued to Councillors and implement new online services to support them
• start a training programme for Councillors and staff so they are ready for the changes that will take place over the next few years

During 2003 we intend to

• introduce a new mobile information service
• start Internet broadcasting of council business
• improve information and opportunities available online
• implement a single Devon website covering services provided by all members of the Devon e-Government partnership
• implement more electronic services to allow online ordering and purchasing
• develop flexible working policies for County Council staff including home-based working

During 2004 we intend to

• complete the development of the Devon County Council web site so that all business that can be conducted online is available and accessible
• implement key recommendations of the public access strategy which is likely to include Contact Centres and One-Stop Shop services supported by an integrated voice and data network

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6. Working together in partnership

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

The Devon e-Partnership group comprises Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, Exeter City Council, East Devon District Council, Mid Devon DC, North Devon DC, Torridge DC, Teignbridge DC, South Hams DC, West Devon Borough Council, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Devon and Cornwall Police Authority, Devon Fire and Rescue Service.

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7. How will 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.

If we meet our e-Government targets, the Government will pay us an extra £1 million towards this work.

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8. Let Us Know What You Think

We would like to receive expressions of interest from organisations that would like to work in partnership with us to implement this strategy, in particular:

• Community based organisations that can help us develop Community Access Points, Contact Centres, One Stop Shops and Focus Groups
• Organisations that are already providing IT skills training and education in Devon.

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9. Getting Involved

If you have any thoughts or comments you wish to make about New Ways then we would like to hear from you.

email: egov@devon.gov.uk or you can use this simple form here