ICT for elected members - Not for kissing babies

Produced by: Socitm Insight

Type: Reports

The transformation of public services cannot succeed without the involvement of informed and enthusiastic elected members.

1 Introduction

Many elected members in local authorities use ICT extensively, but some do not; some councils choose not to provide computing  acilities to their councillors at all. The demands f the role and the general direction of overnment policy, not to mention the changing xpectations of constituents, all make it increasingly necessary and inevitable that lected members make effective personal use of ICT.

2 Elected members using ICT

We consider the different roles of a councillor, whether elected representative, scrutiny member, executive and portfolio holder, area  representative, committee member or, indeed, election campaigner. We examine the ses of ICT that are relevant to each role. Communication is one key aspect of use, but efficient working practices and effective involvement of communities are also important to busy elected members.

3  Supporting elected members in using ICT

The ICT unit has a key role to play in supporting elected members, but cannot act alone. We  look at the impact on the ICT unit, on members' support services and on other parts of the  council.

4 ICT governance by elected members

Elected members play a crucial role in decision-making about the way the council uses ICT. We look at the way that better personal understanding of the possibilities of  ICT can lead to better decisions about its  deployment.

5 Conclusions

The relationship between the ICT unit and elected members needs to be nurtured for two reasons. Firstly, expectations are rising that elected members should themselves be  efficient in the use of ICT as part of the transformation of public services that ICT now enables. Secondly, the ICT unit must in turn  earn to be responsive to the changing needs of  elected members in their use of ICT.

Last modified: 19th January 2010