Information sharing &endash; creating an electronic single point of access
As is happening around Australia, Local Government authorities in Western Australia are looking at how they can capitalise on the race into online services. But while the state’s 144 Councils know there is an imperative, many are unsure about what online services delivery really is, and how it can deliver benefits to the stakeholders.
Many Councils are being driven to investigating the new online environment following requests from ratepayers, Councillors and suppliers, while others are seeing online services provision as a necessary part of the strategic business planning process and are proactively investigating just how the Internet can help them.
While most Councils have a web presence, or some form of Internet usage within their organisation, there are many who are still unsure of how to go about gaining maximum benefit from the online environment.
According to Smart Communities Consultant, Jackie Gill from HarvestRoad, a supplier of software for virtual communities, it is all about making Councils aware of what is available to them in the Internet age.
“Local Government Authorities are really looking to provide the best possible level of service to their residents,” she said.
“But they are getting mixed messages about how to do that on the Internet.
“So it is important that Councils understand they can move into the online environment in a stepped way, developing an Internet presence that is built to grow with their usage and knowledge.
“The provision of online services moves Councils out of their current pattern of service provision into a whole new culture of service delivery.
“Customers are beginning to expect that they can get answers and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“And considering that the technology is available to do this, it is important that these needs are answered.
“Even something as simple as a comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can effectively lift the level of service delivery in a Council.
“As people around Australia become more and more familiar with the idea of going to the Internet for answers, they will expect Local Government authorities to provide information online where they can access it at their convenience.
“For instance, a person who wants to know about the process of establishing a home based business should be able to get that information directly without having to go to the Council offices, or having to ring someone.
“Most of the time people can get the initial answers they want from an FAQ site.”
Jackie Gill believes that the seamless access to information is critical to building best practice online service delivery. People do not want to have to ring several different Federal, State and Local Government departments to find information. The web environment should make navigating through the maze of information much easier.
The Western Australian Municipal Association is currently consulting with Councils across the state in a project called ‘Linking Councils with Communities’.
The basis of the project is how to optimise opportunities offered through the Internet, and whether there are benefits in sharing resources and information between Councils using the Internet.
“Currently all the research points to the fact that there are huge benefits to be gained administratively, and in terms of customer service, in the use of the Internet for sharing information between Councils, between Councillors and staff, and between the individual Councils and their ratepayers,” Jackie Gill said.
While all Councils recognised the need for looking at online service delivery, many do not know where to start. It is all about business planning,” she said.
“Councils need to define who their clients are, and what is their core business. Then ask themselves how they can best bring the two together using the value added opportunities of the Internet.”
Part of delivering online services will be establishing community portals &endash; where communities will bring together all the services, businesses and communities of a region into one electronic space.
“There is a growing expectation that community knowledge will be managed through a portal environment which gives the community a single point of access to information which is of use to them,” Jackie Gill said.
“There is no doubt that Local Government has a huge role in developing these portals to give their residents access to information and services.
“In a way, a portal site is just like the other types of infrastructure that Councils have to provide &endash; like the recreation centre or the cultural centre, Councils are going to have to look at how they make community knowledge infrastructure available to all.
“It is a new way of thinking for many, and it is confronting because there is a huge amount of cultural change which occurs with online service delivery.
“But many Councils in Australia are rising to the challenge.”
For further information contact Jackie Gill, at Harvest Road, telephone 0409 886 982.
Portal: Single point of access to a community or group of communities that share a need to exchange and disseminate information.
