Although nearly every local authority has developed an IEG and has a web site, there is relatively little evidence of services being delivered electronically at the present time.  A survey of local authority web sites in 2001 found that 36 per cent were promotional sites, 41 per cent content sites, 18 per cent content plus, with less than 1 per cent representing transactional sites (4). 

Main problems in implementing e-government

While finance is proving a major hurdle, the problems in the public sector run much deeper than those generated by resource constraints.  Difficulties of a structural, cultural and strategic nature pose an even greater threat to the achievement of the 2005 deadline and the sustainability of e-government over time. 

The IT Trends Report 2001/2 issued by the Society of Information Technology Management (SOCITM) indicates that although progress has been made, 'significant financial, organisational and cultural obstacles are hindering progress' (5). Understanding of the Government’s e-government strategy amongst elected members and chief executives is low in most authorities.  This mirrors a cultural failure of change management that extends throughout the public sector, including managers, operational and technical staff. 

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E-enabling the nonprofit sector

The lack of substantive progress in the implementation of e-government is even more clearly evident in the nonprofit sector, particularly within housing associations.  Although the Government’s e-government programme has been focussed largely on the public sector, that is central and local government and related agencies, the nonprofit sector is heavily implicated.  '

There should be a new, mixed economy in the electronic delivery of government services in which the public, private and voluntary sectors can all play a role on the basis that what matters is what works rather than who does it' (6).

Nature of the sector

In discussing the role of nonprofits, we should recognise that organisations range from large charities with professional staff to small local groups run by volunteers.

Kevin Harris, of CDF, says: 'Their developmental needs are somewhat different. For example, the economy of a community organisation may consist of 80% or 100% volunteering, with the controlling roles being voluntary; whereas professional voluntary organisations are more likely to consist of 60-100% paid work, with the controlling roles being professional. Different types of management, motivation and training are called for.'

Kevin contributed substantially to the Government Policy Action Team 15 research into social exclusion and ICTs, arguing that overcoming what is sometimes termed the Digital Divide involves more than providing access.

'We stressed that it is the diversity of information and communication applications which makes the difference at local level: people use ICTs and they acquire skills and confidence, they learn and develop business opportunities, they become empowered and participate.  One can neither prescribe nor predict the patterns of usage that will emerge.'

The PAT 15 report urged Government to support establishment of local ICT centres, particularly in poorer neighbourhoods. These UK online centres are now a central plank of Government policy to provide access learning opportunities.

Kevin suggests the following key areas where exploitation of ICTs by community organisations can make an important social contribution.

E-enabling report

A report on 'E-enabling the voluntary and community sectors' (7), prepared for the Office of the E-envoy by Hall Aitken consultants, reviewed benefits in terms of internal efficiencies, effectiveness in service delivery and wider networking benefits.

The study found that the Internet and ICT can improve the delivery of services to clients, and help organisations to deliver services in new and more effective ways, for example; online mutual support groups, video conferencing in rural areas, and new types of learning opportunities.

However, the study found that overall the level of ICT infrastructure in the sector is poor and this prevents many of these gains being achieved

'Although 82% of organisations have computers and 67% have an Internet connection, these computers are often at a level too low to make use of the opportunities of core cost savings, productivity gain and service developments that have been achieved in the public and private sector. The ratio of computers to employees is also low, for example 60% of organisations employing 25 to 49 people have fewer than  9 computers.

The report added: 'Surprisingly the picture does not change with organisational size, except for the very largest organisations.'

The report recommended assistance to the sector in terms of:

In addition, the report recommended that the funding element of any support should only be provided in the context of technology plans for applicant organisations.

The story from the front line

The National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service (NACVS) - the local umbrella organisations for the sector - carried out an informal survey of who was responsible for IT work within member organisations and reported the following typical comments:

Simon Pavitt, the NACVS IT development worker, said:  'It is easy to get hold of computers but hard to work out how to use them to develop services.  This lesson may have been learnt in other sectors, but not generally by the voluntary sector or the agencies that fund it.

'Most organisations don't currently have time to look at better use of IT - they  can't stop doing what they're doing for long enough to find a different way of  doing it.  

'It's people's heads that need changing - not their hardware or software'

Simon warns that the sector ignores the importance of ICTs at its peril.

'When there's 'universal internet access' people will find the statutory and  commercial services but will they be able to find the voluntary sector?  If not they'll go elsewhere.  

'People won't be wandering up and down the high street looking for the  voluntary sector anymore.'

The view from the e-envoy

Paul Farrell is  responsible for community and voluntary sector in the Office of the E-envoy.  He highlights two immediate initiatives:

Paul added: 'We want to work in partnership with the sector to take these matters forward and identify the ICT needs identified in recent independent research.  To that end, the e-Envoy warmly welcomed a recent initiative of the sector in establishing a Voluntary and Community Sector Internet Task Force, set up by Joe Saxton and Caroline Pile. The task force will be a key intermediary for our liaison with the sector and we look forward to task force members helping us determine priorities for assisting the sector.'

A new Task Force for voluntary and community organisations

Joe Saxton is head of not for profit at the Future Foundation and with Caroline Pile has helped create the Voluntary and Community Sector Internet Task Force. He sees the main challenges as:  

What's needed: the missing elements of success

A report  earlier this year by Paul Ticher and the London Advice Services Alliance  (Leading the way to IT success) examined the 'missing elements of success' for voluntary organisations using ICTs. Many would be familiar in public and private sectors.

Paul concluded: 'The involvement of senior managers in shaping an organisation’s ICT development is not optional. To use ICT effectively requires a strategy, resources and a consistent approach to implementation.

'Organisations can only deliver this if the senior management understand and support the development of IT within the organisation.

The report - which was funded by the Baring Foundation and  the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists - recommended a number of actions for different interests.

Some of the issues facing the community and voluntary sectors are being addressed by specialist suppliers. One of these, Networks Online, is a 'network of networks' providing services for a range of nonprofit organisations and some 1800 subscribers. By using a common technology platform, pooling information resources, and centralising support services they can overcome some of the barriers facing individual organisations.

Networks Online have also formed a consortium of organisations - DirectSupport - to help community-based organisations set up and run the UK online centres discussed later in this article. The package of a helpline, extranet, events and mentoring services funded by the Department for Education and Skills could be a model for wider application.

Other specialist suppliers in the area include two Internet Service Providers - Poptel and GreenNet. Makingthenetwork.org lists these and others in the field in a 'Who's who' of community technology http://www.makingthenetwork.org/tools/who.htm

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Housing associations and the Net

One of the areas pivotal to the community and civic use of the Internet is social housing, provided in part by local authorities but increasingly by nonprofit housing associations.

By 2010, associations will make up the largest of the rental sectors, having assimilated over 2 million local authority homes through the process of stock transfer. Currently, between three and a half and four million of the most vulnerable households in the UK will look to housing associations as the main providers of homes and services. For the Government’s agenda of universal access to be viable, the association sector will therefore need to actively engage with the e-government programme.

Yet recent research, Remote Control (8) has indicated that housing associations are highly unlikely to achieve anything like the Government’s 2005 target.  On the contrary, as a whole, the housing association sector has under-performed in its exploitation of IT. 

David Wilcox, reviewing the Remote Control research and others studies, and reporting on meetings with housing associations, developed the following interim findings for a project funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Tenants may be at a disadvantage

Tim Dwelly, in research for the Housing Corporation, highlights the problems that tenants are likely to have in making full use of the Internet for learning or working from home.

The overall take up of Internet use - now in over 40 percent of homes - has enabled one in four of the workforce to carry out some of their work from home. However, allocation policies and tenancy agreements usually means that tenants have no spare room for themselves or children to use a PC quietly, and are discouraged or forbidden to run a business from home.

'Put crudely, home owners can choose an extra room for work or study. They can afford to be online. Tenants are often prevented from having an extra room, are told that they should not work from home and are often unable to afford to be online. To deny one group of the population the chance to have a work room in their home is a form of active social exclusion.'

Preserving choice

Nicholas Pleace, of  the Centre for Housing Policy, University of York, has carried out research funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation into the early implementation of electronic service delivery by social landlords, social services and charities.  (Social care, social housing and electronic service delivery)

He says: 'The challenges are around ensuring accessibility and preserving choice. Every effort needs to be made to ensure that electronic service delivery is accessible to people who would find it difficult to use a website via a PC.  For those who cannot, or do not wish to, use electronic service delivery, an ongoing effort to provide alternative routes to services that provide support and assistance, rather than expecting individuals to 'self-serve' using interactive services, is required.  Without this, there will be a risk that electronic service delivery increases marginalisation and exclusion for some elements within the population.

Nicholas identifies costs to users and organisations as barriers to developing online service - plus the nature of the services.  'Adaptation of public services is costly and complex.  It is much more difficult to automate social housing management than sell books over the Internet.'

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The development of UK online centres

One major initiative to ensure widespread access to the Net, and provide learning opportunities for those who might not otherwise have them, is the Government UK online centres programme. These are new or 'rebadged' centres created in libraries, colleges, community centres and other public places providing drop-in facilities, formal courses, and a base for groups to explore how to use the net for community benefit.

The e-envoy, reporting to the Prime Minister in February 2002 said (9):

'Providing Internet access to all those who want it remains a high priority. A substantial network of community Internet access points has been established to support this goal. Well over 2100 UK online centres are now operating and we are on track to deliver 6000 centres by the end of the year, when all libraries will also be online. Our research suggests that by the end of 2002, almost 99% of households in England will be within 5 miles of a public Internet access point and 78% within 1 mile.'

Many centres have professional staff.  However Chris Swaine is Chair of the Southcote IT Experience, a UK online centre based in Reading, Berkshire, which is run entirely by volunteers.

The aim of community-based centres like Southcote is to attract people who wouldn't normally go back into a learning environment - but Chris says it is difficult to get traditional educational establishments, business communities and funding bodies to recognise their value.

'We continually hear of initiatives to try and attract the more traditionally hard to reach groups, such as those on low income, unemployed, part time workers or even retired folk into some form of learning. We also hear of the business community saying that learners have not necessarily got the skills that they want.

'Therefore, it would seem logical that joining with us could firstly get at those hard to reach client groups, but more importantly train them with the skills that businesses need.

'Because we don't have the levels of bureaucracy we can, in the words of the Director General of the BBC, Greg Dyke 'Cut the crap and make it happen'.

Chris says the main lesson is to be innovative and try plenty of ideas without fear of failure.

What would help Southcote and similar centres most? 'I call it the Heineken beer scenario whereby a funder or business finds us and says 'Hey we think you are doing a great job - how can we help you', rather than us having to scrabble around in the mud tugging our forelocks - guv.'

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Getting local communities online

David Greenop, writing in IBTE Telecommunication Engineering: A Structured Information programme (April 2001), describes how community communication networks  have developed over the last decade, often to serve social excluded areas. Community networks have their roots in North American Free-Nets, developed in the 1980s and 90sto provide local electronic information systems before Internet connectivity was widely available.

These days their focus has moved from access to web portals offering local information, services and forums, sometimes with training and support to help local individuals and groups develop their own content.

The Government is encouraging some further experiments by funding seven 'Wired Up Communities' in disadvantaged communities. As well as developing portals and other services, local people qualify for free home computers or set top boxes to access content through digital TV.

Rob Campbell, of Halcyon Consultants, works on the Wired Up Communities programme and recently reviewed projects. He confirmed the great potential benefits of community network initiative - but offered some warnings to local authorities and others providing 'official' support.

Rob suggests that for these local projects to be successful, the official sponsors must plan to 'let go' and operate at arms length. One of the challenges then will be to sustain the project once initial funding dries up.

Horace Mitchell is a board member of Communities Online, which promotes and supports local community networks. He also works as a consultant and parliamentary advisor, and runs a web site for his village.

He argues that the use of ICTs in and for local communities and voluntary organisations has an important role in determining the pace and nature of ICT take up by individuals, families and local organisations.

'People who are still not PC or Internet users will respond to what they hear from friends and neighbours, from people in local pubs and clubs, from their day-to-day contacts, rather than to the technology-based sales pitch of the PC and Internet suppliers, or exhortations from Government.

'For the keen gardener the fact that their gardening club and its members are or aren't 'on the web' and actively using the Net will influence them more than the fact that Tesco or the Home Office or the county council are online.

'The real benefits of Internet for business, government and society will start to flow only when most people have 'got connected' and have high quality access. With only half the population connected, and less than half of them 'actively connected', anyone wanting to offer an effective online service has to also maintain all their existing offline ways of reaching people.'

Horace Mitchell offer three main lessons:

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Communities of interest

One of the great strengths of the Internet is the opportunity it offers to find and communicate with those with shared interests - wherever they may be. These online communities of interest may be based around an existing 'real world' organisation or network, or develop among people who have never met.

They are particularly important in the context of the 'civic' Net because they enormously extend our ability to share ideas and develop new relationships, and create 'Net presence' without having to build a web site.

Online communities now have their own specialist managers, who may range from the enthusiast creating a web-based forum or a mailing list using free systems at Yahoo or Smartgroups, to a member of a professional team responsible for forums run by broadcasting organisations and other media.

The informal network E-mint (named after The Mint pub where founder members first met) provides a real and virtual home for these managers through its own forum and monthly meetings. Two E-mint members offer their perspective on the civic and community use of the Net.

Enhancing democratic debate

Miranda Mowbray researches social and practical issues in running online communities at Hewlett Packard Laboratories

'The Internet is not just a library. Although it's a good idea to put useful civic information online, it's a pity not to take advantage of the possibilities for two-way (and multi-way) communication. Similarly, although it's good to put educational material on the Internet, e-learning works best when there is also an opportunity to contact other human beings for discussion and teaching.'

The Net has a role in enhancing democracy, but not through simplistic enthuiasm for e-voting. 

'To increase voter turnout, allow postal voting. It does increase turnout, it's accessible, and we know how to make it reasonably secure and private. E-voting is riskier.

'As for e-plebiscites, I agree with the E-Envoy, Andrew Pinder, that they lead to 'hastily-formed and ill-informed judgements'. Giving citizens the ability to make instant votes, and the ability to email their representatives rather than just writing a letter, won't do much for democracy. To enhance democracy, you need to enhance the quality of democratic debate - and the Internet can help with this.

'Online is not a substitute for offline. For best results in the civic use of the Internet, have offline meetings as well, and work with offline organisations.'

Need for 'civic space'

Robin Hamman is Executive Development Producer for Communities at Granada Interactive  as well as a part time PhD student and member of the e-mint group with Miranda Mowbray. (since writing Robin has moved to BBCi)

Robin highlights the need for 'civic space' on the Net, and the role of nonprofits in creating that.

'The internet is probably the most commercialised place on Earth! The US government, which originally owned or administrated important parts of the Internet, has given control of the high bandwidth backbone and top level domain name servers to private companies.

'This has created a situation where it's actually impossible to go online without treading on corporate space. Obviously, this situation is dangerously open to abuse. But, it also represents an opportunity for non-profit and civic use of the Internet - we need public space online and it's non-profit groups that are most likely to provide this space for people to gather, meet, build communities, and exchange information.

'There is also a need for a non-profit or government created search engine - gatekeepers such as Yahoo and MSN hold too much power because they control which sites users will find and, ultimately, which ones they visit: it's like allowing these companies to ban books from the national library! '

Robin, carrying out research on AOL users, found that most people don't use the internet in the ways that he would expect.

'An experienced user, I use the internet to meet new people and build new communities of interest. Most users, however, use the internet primarily to email mom and dad, and to conduct research for academic, work, or purchase related reasons. Very very few people are interested in joining an online chat or message board debate - they've got enough friends, thank you.'

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Conclusions: a lack of leadership

Martyn Pearl writes: The technomyopia we have reported earlier appears to reflect a common theme that runs through both the public and not for profit sectors.  The findings in Remote Control and SOCTIM (see above), research conducted in 2001 among over 200 voluntary organisations (10), and our other findings  suggest a limited appreciation among many chief executives and directors of finance of the real benefits to be derived from IT.  There is therefore a strong indication that leadership and direction is to a large extent absent in many public and voluntary organisations.

One consequence of this lack of leadership is that many organisations, both public and voluntary are failing to recognise the potential of technology to act as the catalyst for radical change.  There is evidence that 'too many e-government initiatives ... are about automation, not re-engineering' with the objective being short-term savings rather than long-term benefits (11).  If this is the case, many of the apparent achievements in the lead up to 2005 will be cosmetic rather than substantive.  This rather negative generalisation should not, however, hide the fact that there are organisations in both the public and voluntary sectors that serve as exemplars of innovation and adaptation.  In such cases, technology, data management and service delivery objectives have been considered in an integrated, strategic manner.  The needs and aspirations of consumers have also been taken into account in shaping services, which has also often resulted in greater transparency and accountability. However, these are in the minority, with the majority of organisations placing greater emphasis on process and project driven initiatives rather than joined-up working and strategic planning.

In addition to the cultural and leadership shortcomings in developing e-government, other related factors also threaten to undermine the 2005 target.  These include:

Each of the above factors feature to a greater or lesser extent in inhibiting the effectiveness of integrating technology within the mainstream of organisational activity.  Individually, they may not represent major obstacles.  However, collectively, they spotlight the significant weakness in the Government’s vision of a modern, technologically aware nation. 

What is becoming increasingly evident is that at the heart of achieving a system of effective e-governance and e-government is the need for a major reappraisal of cultural and professional values across the public and voluntary sectors. There is a need for greater vision, not driven solely by IT, but substantially informed by it.  The evidence indicates that local authorities have at least made a start in this direction through the development of Implementing Electronic Government strategies.  However, their challenge is to disseminate the vision throughout the corporate body rather than retaining it within a few IT champions. 

Voluntary organisations, on the other hand, have much further to go in achieving such a vision and there appears little indication that it will happen in the near future.  This would leave a significant gap in achieving universal access to electronic services and information.  This might suggest that Government should consider extending additional support, guidance and perhaps direction, to prompt a greater urgency amongst the voluntary sector.  The potential need for this has been recognised for some time: 'the e-Envoy should ‘champion’ the involvement of the private and voluntary sectors in the electronic delivery of government services' (4 p9)). However the substance has, to date, been lacking.

Politically, the greatest embarrassment for the Government would be if their 2005 target for e-government were not met.  From the current performance data there appears every likelihood that this objective may be met in some form.  For the neutral however, of even greater concern is if the target were met, but with little substantive change to services, governance, organisational structures or professional attitudes.   Such a scenario would represent a considerable waste of resources and a major opportunity forgone.

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References

(1) CITU, (1999a), Modernising Government,

http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/moderngov/whtpaper/index.htm
http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/moderngov/whatismg.htm

(2) CITU E-government: A strategic framework for public services in the Information Age,  Central IT Unit, 2000

(3) UK online annual report 2001. http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ukonline/champions/anrep_menu.htm

(4) http://www.socitm.gov.uk/public/insight/benchmarking/betterconnected.asp

(5) http://www.socitm.gov.uk/public/surveys/trends2000.asp

(6) PIU, 2000, e.gov; Electronic Government Services for the 21st Century, Cabinet Office http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation/2000/delivery/intro.htm

(7) http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/publications/reports/e-enabling/index.htm

(8) Pearl, M and Scanlon, M Remote Control – housing associations and e-governance, Policy Press 2002.

(9) E-ENVOY report Feb 2002. http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/publications/reports/pmreports/rep4feb.htm

(10) TBC RESEARCH. The use of information technology in non-profit making organisations, Tate Bramauld Ltd. 2001

(11) Oakley, K. E-government: Making the connection, Cable & Wireless. 2000

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Further references

Additional references and interviews are available at http://www.makingthenetwork.org/docs/journal.htm

DETR. Modern councils, modern services, access for all, DETR, 2001

DETR, , E‑Government: Delivering Local Government Online, Milestones and resources for the 2005 target, February 2001

DETR, Guidelines for preparing Implementing Electronic Government statements, 2001

Office of the e-Envoy  E-government: A strategic framework for public services in the information age, 2000

Citizens Online http://www.citizensonline.org.uk/

Communities Channel - Scotland http://www.ngflscotland.gov.uk/communities/

Community Media Association http://www.commedia.org.uk/

Communities Online http://www.communities.org.uk/

Community Development Foundation http://www.cdf.org.uk/

DirectSupport http://www.ictcentre.org.uk/

E-enabling the voluntary and community sector http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/publications/reports/e-enabling/index.htm

E-mint http://www.emint.org.uk/

GreenNet http://www.gn.apc.org/

Leading the way to IT success http://www.lasa.org.uk/. See also http://www.baringfoundation.org.uk

Improvement and Development Agency http://www.idea.gov.uk/

Making the Net Work http://www.makingthenetwork.org

Office of the e-Envoy http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk

National Association of Councils for Voluntary Service http://www.nacvs.org.uk/

Networks Online http://www.networksonline.org.uk/

Policy Action Team 15 http://www.pat15.org.uk/

Poptel http://www.poptel.net/

Pleace and Quilgars. Social care, social housing and electronic service delivery 2002 http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/342.asp

Society of Information  Management Technology(SOCITM) http://www.socitm.gov.uk/

The Southcote IT Experience http://www.southcotesite.co.uk/

Wired Up Communities initiative http://www.dfes.gov.uk/wired/over.shtml

Who's who in community technology http://www.makingthenetwork.org/tools/who.htm

UK online centres http://www.dfes.gov.uk/ukonlinecentres/

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Biographies

David Wilcox worked as journalist before becoming a consultant and trainer in the development of public, private, community partnerships and nonprofit organisations. For the past seven years he has specialised in nonprofit and community uses of the Internet, and runs makingthenetwork.org with UK and US colleagues. This article is based in part on research he is undertaking for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation - who are not, however, responsible for the content.

Email: david@partnerships.org.uk

Martyn Pearl is Director of Housing Studies at Oxford Brookes University. He has researched extensively in the areas of housing management and asylum seekers. In addition to his academic experience, he also has a background in housing practice, including time as Assistant Director of Housing in a London borough. He is currently Chair of an active housing association in Oxfordshire, a board member of Housing Potential UK, and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing.

Email: mspearl@brookes.ac.uk