May 2006

THUS explains how communications technology can deliver savings in local government.

In December 2005, local councils all over the UK silenced months of media doubt by proving themselves e-enabled. Virtually without exception, local councils proved they had adapted to the modern world of tech administration and met the challenge set out by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. E-government had arrived and was clearly a success.

This was a welcome success, a result of the hard work local councils had put in to ensure they could offer a truly 21st century service. Yet this was by no means the end of the story. The drive to e-government was ultimately part of a much bigger picture - that of e-efficiency. 

The main driver behind e-efficiency is the report by Sir Peter Gershon into efficiency in the public sector. Gershon proposed that local governments make £20bn in savings by 2007-08 through 2.5 per cent a year efficiency targets. These targets, the heart of the e-efficiency agenda, can only be reached if the technology put in place through the drive to e-government is up to the task. This article looks at how one communications technology is poised to do just that.

Next Generation Networks (NGNs), the 'hot' technology of the telecommunications world, are set to play a major role in helping councils become e-efficient. In an NGN data, voice and broadcast functions are brought together; known collectively as 'triple-play'. In effect this means a voice network, data network and broadcast network converge and use the same fibre line. 

So how exactly would replacing traditional networks with an NGN help councils meet their e-efficiency targets? The major saving comes from the cost reduction inherent in having a single, converged network. Instead of having to pay for three separate networks, on three separate bills with, potentially, three separate companies, all will be delivered in one reduced-cost package - embracing the very essence of efficiency. Reduced network costs are just the beginning - an NGN is a whole new network which brings with it a new raft of benefits. 

Local councils offer a wide variety of disparate services, so many in fact it is perhaps more reasonable to think of a series of diverse and unique organisations grouped together under the umbrella of 'local council'. This is reflected in their communications networks. A museum has its own network, as do libraries, community centres and all other departments, with little centralisation. This disparity is made worse by the way they are managed. There are myriad pay roll and HR teams operating largely independently of each other. This leads to an unnecessary and expensive duplication of functions and hardware. 

With an NGN, the structure of local councils becomes more cohesive. An NGN enables the centralisation or virtualisation of departments and offices such as call centres, council tax administration and many others. Data can be accessed with equal speed and ease no matter where the facility or employee is based. 

One of the most immediate benefits is the scalability of NGNs. The call centre is a key interface between citizens and a local council. With traditional technologies the costs involved in adding new agents to a call centre can be prohibitive, even more so if a council wishes to open a brand new centre. The IP-based NGN THUS installed for Glasgow City Council (GCC) allowed 400 extra agents to be added to its call centres without the need to invest any further capital. GCC improved services to its citizens by having more people manning more phones without having to invest extra budget to upgrade its network.

Today an office is anywhere a broadband connection is available, a library, a home or even a coffee shop. Workers who spend most of their time on the road no longer need a desk. They can connect to the local council server anywhere and an NGN ensures business-quality download and upload speeds as well as the security essential to protect sensitive data. As voice calls are running alongside the data stream, council workers can be contacted by telephone no matter where they are on a mobile via a fixed line number. The efficiencies are, therefore, twofold: time is saved as calls are answered quickly and dealt with immediately, and space, which was once wasted on seldom-used desks, can be freed up and utilised more effectively.

The targets set by Sir Peter Gershon are demanding, but with technologies like NGNs in place and local councils working hard to cut waste there is no reason they should not be met. Just as local councils succeeded with e-Government, they will succeed with e-efficiency..