Extending the GOV.UK Verify identity checking system to local government has been identified as a key priority of a new collaborative body for the sector.
The new Local Digital Coalition has been formed by local government bodies including the Local CIO Council, LocalGov Digital, iNetwork, iStandUK, Socitm, and Solace.
It has published an action plan aimed at providing a mechanism for local authorities to plan and digital collaboration initiatives to realise collective benefits.
The plan said: “Having identified some national and local projects that could help the sector make significant savings and improve services, councils need an agreed and authoritative mechanism to plan and deliver this collaborative work, and to monitor and evaluate its success.”
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The initiative is a reaction to criticism that councils are currently procuring different suppliers for technological solutions for similar services, failing to make the most of economies of scale.
The coalition believes that a single a mechanism for coordinating digital transformation on a national scale will “ensure communication, collaboration and learning around common practical solutions that are already underway”.
Five key projects have been identified as exemplars for the first year of the coalition’s operation.
These are a blue badge eligibility checker, DVLA APIs for local government, extension of GOV.UK to local authorities, the integrated care record standards project and a local waste service standards project.
