'Digital Britain Roadmap' Details Move to Online Government Services

A new report from the government called 'Putting the Frontline First' reveals plans to move nearly 100% of government transactions to the internet by 2014. By digitizing processes from student loan applications to child tax credits, the program hopes to free up £400m over three years, streamlining administrative processes and allowing staff to deal more effectively with situations that require their personal attention.

In a speech announcing the report, which was released December 10th, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, our aim is – within the next five years – to shift the great majority of our large transactional services to become online only.

The report states that the government will be accelerating existing plans to transition to digitized services. Departments will be writing strategies for meeting the new goal, to include how the work will be accomplished as rapidly as possible, funding options, and how best to continue to serve those who still do not have internet access. A comprehensive plan, to be called the 'Digital Britain Roadmap', will then be developed by the end of 2010, which will detail how all these departments will deliver their services online.

Beginning with the goal of processing a minimum of 80% of school placement applications online by 2012, local authorities will also be involved in the push to digitize governmental functions, creating an increase in work for agencies across the board. By 2010, child benefit services are targeted to be available online.

It is hoped that successful transitions to online services will allow departments to budget more effectively and concentrate resources where they are more urgently needed, while managing basic services through internet solutions.