Lack of awareness holds back government web success
~ 92% say increased knowledge of available services would encourage increased use, increasing government efficiency savings ~
29th May 2009
The British public is keen to use the Internet to engage with government services, but is unaware of what they can do online, new research from Parity has found.
An overwhelming 92 per cent of those with Internet access at home said that improved awareness of local and central government online services would encourage them to use them more often. That’s despite the vast sums spent on the Transformational Government Agenda, which claimed big improvements in online services earlier this month.
The research, conducted by Coleman Parkes, found there is a strong demand for online government services in the UK – 80 per cent would prefer to find information about local schools online, rather than over the phone or in person, and 67 per cent would prefer to pay council and road tax online.
However, actual use of government services online lags behind their commercial counterparts: 92 per cent of respondents shop online, with 81 per cent using online banking and 43 per cent using supermarket websites.
This is compared to 41 per cent who had paid their car tax online and 22 per cent who had paid their council tax online.
Surprisingly, very few people (just three per cent) cited security concerns as an inhibitor – for those who have used the services in the last year, lack of awareness was the biggest factor holding back increased use of government web-based services. For those who had not used a government website in the last year, 68 per cent said they had not needed the services. However, if the government wants to make efficiency savings of £35 billion by 2011 , it must take action to improve the take up of services, according to Alwyn Welch, CEO at Parity.
“Efficiency savings are dependent on moving work from council and department offices onto the Internet,” said Welch. “To achieve this, the Government’s agenda for IT must include strategies to improve communication about how to use online services and what’s available, as well as improving search functionality, navigation and ease of use. And most importantly, local authorities and central departments alike must listen to what the public wants to do online and provide those services, not just the ones that are easy to move online or help them tick a box.”
Changes that people would like to help improve their experience of local and central government websites include more information about what can be done online (62 per cent), better search functionality (55 per cent) and quicker response to questions (54 per cent).
Welch continued: “Considering that 40 per cent of UK homes do not have Internet access, online government services cannot afford to remain the public sector’s ‘best kept secret’. It’s probably true that those who don’t have the Internet at home are also those who need government support the most – the disabled, those with learning difficulties, the elderly and those out of work. Those who are socially disadvantaged are much more likely to be digitally disadvantaged, and even the Treasury expects 20 per cent of households to be in this situation in 15 years time.”
“Because of this, use of online services needs to be high among those that have Internet access for any savings to have an impact on the public purse. Even more needs to be done to enable those currently without the Internet at home to access online services,” concluded Welch.
About Parity
Parity is a business and IT solutions company with over 40 years' industry experience. Parity delivers a range of recruitment and business and IT solutions to clients across the public and private sector.
Parity works with its customers to bring out the best in their businesses, drawing on vast personal experience to help organisations meet the challenges they face. Strong relationships with customers make Parity a trusted partner for hundreds of clients across the UK and Ireland, including; BT, Ofgem, The Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence, BAT, Northamptonshire County Council and The Charity Commission.
Through specialised IT recruitment for contract, interim and permanent resources, especially in the public sector, Parity provides decision makers with the best candidates to drive strategies forward and focus on results.
Through Collaborative Information Management, coupled with Web 2.0, Parity helps their customers harness the power of information. Helping their clients to increase efficiencies, reduce costs and maximise customer service.