Scilly Isles looks at implementing e-government across 5 islands

The Council has commissioned Socitm Consulting to review its ICT options and to project manage the implementation of an e-government programme strategy.

The Council delivers the full range of services required of a unitary authority, and an ICT strategy needs to support this, while also supporting the priority e-government outcomes, but minimising the revenue costs over the next 5 years. The Council has received IEG funding to purchase and implement ICT systems, but with a council tax base of just over 1000 revenue has to be closely managed and proposed solutions must be sustainable in the longer term. This unique problem of proportionality also makes unviable the introduction of the major packages used by other authorities to deliver the same services.

Socitm Consulting was initially asked by the Council to assist it in the recruitment of an e-government programme manager, a post that was a key recommendation to the Council by the Strategic Support Unit of the IdeA. Subsequently, however, the Council asked that Socitm Consulting itself provide the e-programme manager, and also provide additional expertise required to deliver the project, where the relevant skills were not available within the Council.

In order to meet the Council's ICT strategy needs, Socitm Consulting will implement a phased approach. The first phase in early 2005 will feature a comprehensive review of appropriate options for implementing ICT solutions in the Isles of Scilly, and the second phase, from May to December 2005, will focus on the delivery of the approved options based on the review's recommendations.

The consequences of the introduction of e-governance for the Council will be far-reaching and innovative, as the unique nature of the Isles of Scilly authority requires a pragmatic approach to delivery systems. For Socitm Consulting the project is exciting as the Isles of Scilly present a unique context, with challenges that require ground-breaking but realistic solutions.

'We congratulate the Council of the Isles of Scilly on its positive approach to e-government in the face of considerable challenges', says Stephen Hill, Managing Consultant, Socitm Consulting. 'The special circumstances of the Isles makes this an exciting challenge, and we are very happy to be able to assist the Council in finding solutions in this unique e-government context'.

Steve Watt, Principal Officer, Council of the Isles of Scilly comments: 'A small and relatively remote community such as the Isles of Scilly has a lot to gain from the e-government agenda, but disproportionately limited resources with which to achieve this. We are pleased to have the support of Socitm Consulting so that we can benefit from their knowledge of best practice on the mainland, while at the same time getting a solution which is grounded in the special circumstances in which we work.'

The Council of the Isles of Scilly is the smallest unitary UK local authority, with a population of just over 2000, living on 5 islands with a council tax base of 1128. The Council is composed of 21 Councillors, 13 elected by residents of the largest island St Mary's, and two councillors elected by residents of each of the other four islands - Bryher, St Martins, St Agnes and Tresco. The Council has responsibility to deliver the full range of services required of a unitary authority, despite being extremely small. The Isles of Scilly LEA for example is the second smallest LEA in the country, containing only 1 Federated school with a total of 266 pupils. The main economic drivers are tourism and fisheries.

Related links to this article:
Council of the Isles of Scilly
Socitm Consulting
Socitm

e-Government National Awards
The e-Government National Awards (www.e-GovernmentAwards.org.uk) recognise and praise the best strategies, achievements, teams and individuals in UK e-Government.

Full details on winners of the 2004 Awards can be found at this link. A gallery of photos of 2004 Awards winners and the dinner can be found at this link.. Organiser for the awards is PublicTechnology.net, the leading online news provider for those in UK e-Government and public sector IT, with 32,000 readers per month.

Full details of the 2005 Awards entry schedules, supported by the Cabinet Office e-Government Unit will be announced at the end of April. Platinum sponsor is KPMG.