New South Wales’ Southern Councils Group (SCG) has developed an Internet based knowledge management system. ‘Nucleus’ uses powerful and user friendly components that allow users to update, maintain and create new content on a consistent basis.
The SCG recently expanded from five core members of the Illawarra Region of Councils to a more extensive geographical area, including the south east regions of New South Wales. Now comprising seven Councils, the SCG includes Bega, Eurobodalla, Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven, Wingecarribee and Wollongong Councils.
SCG Executive Officer, Lesley Scarlett, said with offices located considerable distances apart, it became necessary to assess how to cut costly travel time across the region for meetings and yet ensure that all members had equitable access to information.
“A knowledge sharing system which was easily accessible, secure, inexpensive to operate and reliable was the answer,” she said. “Nucleus has been designed for use as an intranet system. It was adapted by Internetrix in conjunction with SCG as an ‘extranet’ across the seven Councils.”
An extranet is a private network that uses internet technology and the public telecommunication system to securely share part of an organisation’s information or operations with suppliers, vendors, partners, customers, or other businesses. An extranet can be viewed as part of a company’s intranet that is extended to selected users outside the company.
Nucleus provides ready access to information to the many various committees which direct SCG’s operations and the programs it manages on behalf of member Councils.It allows staff from any of the seven Councils and other designated organisations to both access and add to information, advice, meeting agendas, minutes and so forth, and advise other members of their additions by an email alert. A comprehensive search engine also allows reports and the like to be quickly located.
General Managers can access information from any area, while some committees have access limited to their own relevant area.
The number of networks now using the site continues to expand weekly. Uses for the site also continue to grow.
For further information contact Lesley Scarlet on (02) 4232 3200 or Internetrix on 1800 007 581.
