Western Australia pumps AU$35m into digital government

The government of Western Australia has announced it will invest AU$34.7 million into digital transformation in the public sector. The funding will be handed to the Office of Digital Government (ODG) that will lead the state's digital reform agenda, with Innovation and ICT Minister Dave Kelly on Monday explaining the money used will help WA play catch-up where digital is concerned.

#zerobudget Funding local government investment in enabling technology
ow.ly/q7IQ0 . e-mpirical are going, are you?

NESTA call for Innovative Councils to step forward

NESTA are calling for ideas from Creative Councils who see radical transformation as the way forward.

"The first stage is an open call for ideas. We want to hear from local authorities that share our ambition and have a vision for radical transformation in an area of challenge that matters to their communities."

More details at http://www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/public_services_lab/creative_councils

Councils should be ingenious not innovate

Matthew Taylor writes in The Guardian's online network about how many innovations fail and how making the best of what council's already have should be the focus.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/local-government-network/2011/may/03/big-idea-councils-ingenious?&

Success! Transformation Fund

It was a great privilege to work up this proposal with the support of all of the local authorities in Berkshire. I am now looking forward to the implementation phase, which I know will bring real benefit to some of the most hard to reach individuals in Berkshire.

Now that we have been told that the bid has been successful, we have to start the implementation phase

The bid, submitted to the £20m Transformation Fund, as part of the Learning Revolution www.transformationfund.org.uk will reach out to those individuals living in communities of Berkshire that are most disadvantaged and are at risk of being disconnected from the growing requirement of participation in learning and active citizenship to achieve a more productive life in terms of economic, social and digital inclusion.

The project activities can be followed on the BNLCP web site at www.bnlcp.org.uk/projects

CIO Council publishes third annual Transformational Government report

The Chief Information Officers Council published its third annual report setting out the progress that has been made during 2008.

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cio/transformational_gov/annual_report2008.aspx

Councils must review web strategies in light of funding issues says Socitm

From PublicTechnology.net

Socitm urge local councils to develop more self service services on their web sites and meet customer demand at a lower cost.

See http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=19913

Transformational Government in Wakefield

So benefit clains can be processed in 25 days...

see what localgov has to say about this.

http://www.localgov.tv/cgi-bin/details.pl?action=prog&id=551

Government challenges third sector to lead the way in transforming public services

See the latest Cabinet Office Press Release

http://tinyurl.com/57vqtd