With apologies for cross posting.

There is a new Public Sector Vocabulary which will be replacing GCL, LGCL
and seamlessUK, the new vocabulary has been built to help citizens and
customers as well as public servants get easier and more efficient access
to information.

The Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary (IPSV) is supported by the Office
of the Deputy Prime Minister and is being funded through the LAWs National
Project.

Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary (IPSV) Helps Everyone Get Easier
And More Efficient Access To Information

New Standard Merges GCL, LGCL And seamlessUK Taxonomy To Simplify
Electronic Content Management

The Integrated Public Sector Vocabulary (IPSV), released on April 4th 2005,
will no longer require organisations in the UK public sector to apply the
GCL, LGCL and seamlessUK taxonomy separately. The IPSV will merge all three
into one list, applicable to website metadata, electronic document and
record management systems, content management systems, and all situations
for managing electronic information and services. It will meet recognised
quality standards and remove long-standing confusion about how to apply the
three separate lists. It will link up with other facilities used by local
authorities, such as
the Local Government Service List (LGSL)

This initiative has the backing of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
(ODPM), the e-Government Unit of the Cabinet Office (eGU), the Local e-
Government Standards Body (eSB) and Essex County Council. The list owners
have contributed:
.     The Government Category List (GCL), a high-level category list which
is currently mandated by the e-Government Metadata Standard (eGMS) for use
throughout the public sector
.     The Local Government Category List (LGCL), a product from the LAWs
National Project for use within the Local Government Community
.     The seamlessUK Taxonomy, a product of the seamlessUK Project for use
in a broad community information environment.

The IPSV will help citizens and customers as well as public servants get
easier and more efficient access to information. Terms from the IPSV will
be added to the subject metadata of electronic resources, so that all such
information can be easily pooled, managed and shared. When resources are
tagged consistently with IPSV terms, data sets from diverse organisations
can be retrieved and the results routed through a variety of delivery
channels. The increased interoperability will offer a strategic advantage
in linking e-enabled services to the Government's Directgov portal (
www.direct.gov.uk). From a local authority's point of view the integrated
vocabulary supports the delivery of the ODPM's
Priority Service Outcome R3 "Community Information."  IPSV will also reduce
the overheads, costs and workload required to implement a controlled
vocabulary within content management systems, search systems and automatic
metadata creation systems, a major benefit for any organisation.

Public sector organisations should prepare to apply or migrate to the IPSV,
as soon as feasible after its release.  The next version of the eGMS,
expected mid-2005, will recommend the IPSV in place of the GCL. Local
Authorities that are currently implementing the LGCL as part of Priority
Service R3 should continue to do so and will be offered further guidance
and support around implementation of metadata and migration to the IPSV
after December 2005; this will include mapping to IPSV from LGCL and LGSL.

There will be opportunities for consultation and discussion about the new
vocabulary as it develops, including various workshops and dissemination
events.  The list will be displayed on esd-toolkit and a discussion forum
has been set up jointly between eSB and esd-toolkit.

Please log on to the following link.
http://www.esd-toolkit.org/integratedforums/ for more information.

Development  of the IPSV is funded through the LAWs National Project from
the Roll Out and Dissemination budget for the National Projects
(www.localegovnp.org/laws).

                                   ends
Notes to the editors

For more information, please contact Sheila Apicella, Assistant
Programme Director of the Local e-Government Standards Body,
[log in to unmask]

For further information about the LAWs National Project, please go to
http://www.localegovnp.org/laws or contact Mark Dixon, LAWs Project
Support Officer, [log in to unmask]

LAWs is holding a joint APLAWS+ and LGOL-net User Group event in London
on 8th March at Holiday Inn Bloomsbury (London), The day will include
introductory and user group sessions on both of the products and will give
you a chance to hear from case study authorities and key suppliers.
For more information please visit http://www.localegovnp.org/laws.

The LAWs National Project's main objective is to help local authorities to
deliver a higher quality and wider range of services online within the
framework of the e-government agenda. This is in line with the key
objective of the ODPM's Public Service Agreement target, "assisting local
government to achieve 100% capability in electronic delivery of priority
services by 2005, in ways that customers will use".

LAWs National Project is one of 22 local e-Government National Projects.
Initiated by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the National Projects
are a key part of its national strategy for local e-government. They offer
councils cost-effective, proven, standards-based products, services and
implementation roadmaps with which to build effective e-services tailored
to their citizens and each council's own unique needs.

The 22 Projects have been created to help local authorities deliver local e-
government by December 2005 - meeting their Priority Outcome requirements
and helping them to respond to the recommendations of the Gershon
efficiency review. http://www.localegovnp.org.uk