Hi all

Here is the UK Government's current 'egovernment strategy' web page:

http://www.iagchampions.gov.uk/Strategy.html

The Executive Summary is below.

John
Ps expect an email from Phil Graham shortly
- hi Phil ;)
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Executive summary 

Information Age Government

1. The Information Age revolution has already brought huge changes to both
manufacturing and service industries all over the world. It has driven down
costs, brought suppliers closer to customers, and made them more responsive
to their needs. The Government has launched initiatives to make the United
Kingdom a world leader in e-commerce and to make access available to all.
This third initiative, e-government, will ensure that government itself will
play a full part in this radical transformation of our society.
Complementary initiatives for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will
extend coverage throughout the UK.

2. e-government fulfils the commitment in the Modernising Government White
Paper to publish a strategy for Information Age Government. It focuses on
better services for citizens and businesses and more effective use of the
Government's information resources. Implementing it will create an
environment for the transformation of government activities by the
application of e-business methods throughout the public sector. The strategy
challenges all public sector organisations to innovate, and it challenges
the centre of government to provide the common infrastructure which is
needed to achieve these goals.

3. e-government has four guiding principles
* building services around citizens' choices
* making government and its services more accessible
* social inclusion
* using information better.
Citizen-focused government

4. When people interact with government they want to do so on their own
terms. They want high quality services which are accessible, convenient and
secure. People should not need to understand how government is organised, or
to know which department or agency does what, or whether a function is
exercised by central or local government. We need a strategy that will
provide this - by helping departments and agencies, central and local
government, co-operate in new partnerships that will offer their services in
ways that make sense to the customer. We need to form partnerships with
innovators in the private sector who can find new ways of meeting changing
patterns of demand. 
Accessible services

5. The Government intends that all services which can be electronically
delivered should be. The strategy proposes that they should be accessible
over the Internet and through mobile phones, digital TV, and call centres as
well as through personal computers. The mix for any service will be
determined in relation to demand. Electronic service delivery does not do
away with the need for personal contact and this must be better supported.
Services should be tailored to individuals' needs. The Government will
develop a business portal, initially for small- and medium- sized
enterprises, and a personalised 'home page' for individuals. It will do so
in a non-exclusive way and will create the conditions for others, including
commercial enterprises, to create innovative service offerings.

6. New ways of doing business will change the relationship between
individuals and government. Access to information will be firmly established
under the Freedom of Information legislation and government organisations
will be more responsive to citizens' views. At the same time, it will be
vital to make sure that people can trust the systems we use, by ensuring
that their personal data is protected and that systems are secure.
Inclusiveness

7. New services must be developed so that they are available to all and easy
to use. Digital TV and mobile phones will become increasingly important as a
means of accessing the Internet. The Government is committed to making it
easier for all people to get access, whether individually or through
community facilities. The telephone will remain a preferred means of contact
for many. Call centres must be improved by giving their staff access to
information networks that will enable them to provide better service. Better
information systems will support the work of those who have face to face
contact with the public.

8. Online public services must be well designed and accessible to all. This
includes providing services for minority language groups and those with
disability or limited mobility.

9. e-government is an opportunity to enhance the services which are provided
to UK citizens overseas, EU citizens and others overseas who wish to do
business with or visit the UK. This is likely to be a stimulus to provide
further multilingual services.
Managing information

10. The Government's knowledge and information are valuable resources. At
the heart of this programme is the need for the public sector to make the
best use of them. Implementing the strategy requires organisations to adopt
coherent and compatible information policies in support of better policy
making, better service delivery and more efficient working.
Managing change

11. This strategy encourages innovators in government to identify new ways
of working in partnership with the private sector. It identifies the need
for a strong lead and effective support from the centre.

12. The e-Envoy, supported by the Information Age Government Champions, will
* own the strategy
* articulate a detailed change programme
* lead its implementation 
* support the Chief Secretary of the Treasury and the e-Minister in a
cross-cutting review in the 2000 spending review on the knowledge economy,
which will consider the funding of electronic government 
* identify new opportunities for cross-cutting initiatives
* report regularly on progress to Ministers.

13. The Central IT Unit (CITU) in the Cabinet Office, in collaboration with
counterparts in the devolved administrations and lead agencies, will
* support citizen-focused service integration
* lead implementation of framework policies, standards and guidelines
* promote shared infrastructure and applications
* establish a government portal
* promote common policies on the management of information.

14. Public sector organisations [1] will
* establish new ways of doing business
* implement common standards and framework policies
* develop e-business strategies 
* provide services which are accessible via the government and other
portals.

[1] For further advice on implementing the strategy in local authorities see
Implementing e-government <guidelines/localgovernment/guidelines.html> -
guidelines for local government. 

15. Taking the strategy forward will need commitment and investment across
the public sector and openness to innovative ideas. The next year's
milestones include
* May 2000: completion of the CITU study of major IT projects
* July 2000: publication of the outcome of the 2000 spending review
* July 2000: publication of the Performance and Innovation Unit report on
new ideas and approaches to government electronic service delivery
* October 2000: submission of initial e-business strategies to the e-Envoy
* December 2000: the e-Envoy's first report to Ministers on the progress of
the strategy.



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