1. Understanding e-government
in Norfolk
Summary & Context
The local e-government environment varies tremendously across the Project Context Map
North Sea Region of the EU, with municipal strategies being shaped by
very different national, regional and local policy contexts and political No.6
and technological agendas. This series of reports summarises the local
e-government environment in six municipalities from six different countries
who are participating in the Smart Cities Interreg IVb project. The reports
allow project partners to review their local e-government context, and helps
us identify to common factors across project partners, along with areas of
difference between partners. This report summarises the e-government
context in Norfolk, based on interviews with staff from County Council, and
identifies factors that they feel shape their local e-government context and
their involvement in the Smart Cities project.
As well as a narrative description of the context, this report contains two
diagrams and a supporting table:
• The main policy drivers for Norfolk County Council
• Those projects most relevant to Smart Cities in Norfolk Key Facts:
• Details of the entities mentioned including links to source material.
Norfolk County Council
The information in this document is derived from publically available A county council covering seven
descriptions supplied by NCC, supplemented by desk-based research. district councils in England
in the UK.
The Smart Cities project
Populations:
Figure 1 illustrates the organisations that Norfolk has identified as being Norwich City – 132 000
significant to the City’s involvement in the Smart Cities project, showing the
(Travel to work area – 367 000)
strategies and drivers
Norfolk County – 831 000
The main top level driver for Norfolk’s participation in the project (along England – 51 446 000
with all project partners) is INTERREG IVB North Sea, funded by the UK – 62 042 000
European Union (EU).
The INTERREG initiative is designed to strengthen economic and social
cohesion throughout the European Union, by fostering the balanced
development of the continent through cross-border, transnational and
interregional cooperation. A principal aim of the Programme is to expand
the scope of territorial cooperation and focus on high quality projects in
innovation, the environment, accessibility, and sustainable and competitive
communities.
The 2007-2013 Programme connects regions from seven countries around
the North Sea, incorporating policy level planning and the long lasting and
tangible effects of projects. The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013
works with cutting edge policy areas in regional development through
transnational projects.
Smart Cities is one of the projects funded through the programme. The
general aim of the Smart Cities project is to create an innovation network
between governments and academic partners leading to excellence in the
domain of the development and take-up of e-services.
2. Europe
European Union Regional Development INTERREG IVB
Transformation Programme for Experian MOSAIC
Government
agenda
Spending Reviews
Porism
Eglnand/UK
CLG
Best practice sharing
ESD Toolkit
LGA I&DEA
DC10+
Broadband delivery Race online
BIS UK 2012
East of England
East England
Development
Agency Regional Economic
Strategy
Government
Office East
Strategic Partnership Norfolk
Ambition
NHS
UoE
E-CLIC
Customer Focus
Norfolk
Economic Development
Social Cohesion LAA
Norfolk County Council County Plan
2008-2011 Smart Cities
Districts
Fig 1:
Main policy drivers for Norfolk County
NB All items are linked to or supporting Smart Cities
3. E-CLIC is another relevant INTERREG project, which has significant overlaps
in project membership with Smart Cities, so it has been included as part of the
project context.
Norfolk is involved in all three development workpackages: customer services
(WP3), wireless services (WP4) and NCC leads the customer profiling (WP5)
workpackage.
National level – UK, England
The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), is the UK
Government department responsible for national policy on local government in
England. Its role is to transform local government, freeing it from central and
regional control, so that elected councils are free to deliver essential services
according to local needs, while meeting requirements for transparency, innovation
and accountability, so that local taxpayers get value for money and responsive
local services.
Other parts of central government which are relevant are the Department of
Culture media and Sport (which oversees libraries and broadband development);
Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) (which looks after
economic development), Department of Health (overseeing health and adult
social services) and Department for Education (school, colleges and children’s
social services).
During the course of the Smart Cities project the UK national government changed
and consequently a number of policies were removed, revised or are under
revision as summarised in the Programme for Government. In particular, the
new government is abolishing its regional offices, including the East of England
office (GO-East) which will close by June 2011. Broadband Delivery UK provides
continuity for the drive towards increasing access to broadband for households,
business and communities in poorly served areas across the UK. This includes
Universal Service Commitment to bring connectivity to those areas still without a
basic level of broadband access.
The Local Government Association (LGA) is a voluntary lobbying organisation,
acting as the voice of the local government sector, and an authoritative and
effective advocate on its behalf.
I&DeA, the Improvement & Development Agency is a subsidiary of the LGA.
It was formed in 1998 to work in partnership with all councils in England and
Wales, to serve people and places better, to enhance the performance of the
best authorities, accelerate the speed of improvement of the rest, and develop
the sector as a whole.
Experian’s Mosaic covers the whole of the UK, classifying all consumers in the
United Kingdom into 61 types, aggregated into 11 groups. Using over 400 data
variables and updated annually, it paints a rich picture of UK consumers in terms
of demographics, socio-economics, lifestyles, culture and behaviour.
Porism’s ESD-Toolkit publishes a list of some 600 customer facing services
supplied by councils. The list results from co-operation between the Life Events
Access Project (LEAP) and a number of councils, some of whom previously
published their own lists. Porism is a Smart Cities partner, and has been working
with NCC to implement the ESD-toolkit and use Mosaic data to target delivery of
services. This forms the heart of the project’s WP5, Customer Profiling.
4. Norfolk County and East England
Sponsored by seven central government departments, the task of the East of
England Development Agency (EEDA) has been responsible for the East of
England Regional Economic Strategy, which outlines a long-term vision for
the economy of the region. The RDAs are to be abolished and replaced by Local
Economic Partnerships such as Shaping Norfolk’s Future.
The County Economic Development Partnership Shaping Norfolk’s Future is
the business-led partnership that works to create wealth and jobs for the people
of Norfolk. It brings together the skills, knowledge, talent and flair of the county’s
private, public and voluntary sector, to help drive Norfolk’s economy. It owns the
Norfolk Broadband Strategy.
The Norfolk Strategic Partnership was set up in 2002 and its role is to develop
and deliver Norfolk Ambition, its long term (til 2023) sustainable community
strategy. The aim of the partnership is knowing what Norfolk wants, understanding
the big issues for Norfolk and making it happen, by working together. This in turn
feeds into the Local Area Agreement (LAA), a three year agreement between
Norfolk and central government to deliver improved outcomes across a range
of priorities to deliver Norfolk Ambition. The LAA is essentially a performance
management framework; a series of outcomes, measures, baselines and targets.
Finally, the County Plan outlines how NCC will deliver its strategic ambitions
as an organisation and how it contributes to the Norfolk Ambition Community
Strategy.
Norfolk is a founder member of DC10+, a collaborative network of over 2,500
local authorities, industry, academe and the third sector partners dedicated to
creating partnerships, sharing good practice and developing new initiatives.
DC10+ is currently involved with the Race Online 2012 campaign.
Norfolk County Council covers seven local government districts; over the last
four years there has been considerable debate on the option of rep[lacing the
two tier system with one or more Unitary Authorities. This has now been ruled
outbut this strategic uncertainty has had some impact on the ability of the County
to make decisions and long term commitments.
Figure 2 illustrates the relationship of different units, strategic priorities and
projects within NCC with (or impacting on) Smart Cities. The drivers behind the
organisations’ involvement can be read from Figure 1. For instance, the ESD-
toolkit provides further the motivation for the leadership of Smart Cities WP5.
Within NCC, Corporate Programme Office, previously the Efficiency Unit,
has overall responsibility for the change process. Libraries are responsible
for community engagement and ICT training as well as providing free access
terminals, a council@yourlibrary one stop shop service in all 50 branches, and
shortly in mobiles. Other key units within NCC are Policy, Performance and
Partnerships (responsible for the link to Smart Cities) and Communications Unit
which manages the Channels, e-government access tools, public engagement,
customer insight and marketing. ICT services provide support but the drive comes
from the service departments
5. PORISM ESD-toolkit
Broadband
BIS
Delivery UK
County Strategic Programmes &
LAA
Partnership
Projects
Strategy
Smart Cities
WP5
Unit Customer services
Norfolk Broadband
Strategy
Norfolk Open City
County Plan
Smart Cities
WP4
Policy Perf & Workforce trans’n
Partnership Service Plans
Smart Cities
WP3
Communications Strategic Change
Achieving
Excellence
Corporate Front Door
Programme
Customer services Telehealth
Libraries
Service Delivery
Fig 2:
Projects most relevant to Smart Cities for Norfolk
6. Source information
The table below gives descriptions projects and bodies related to Norfolk’s
involvement in Smart Cities, together with links for further information).
Table 1 Name: INTERREG IVB North Sea
Details of significant entities
www.northsearegion.eu/ivb/home
The Interreg initiative is designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion
throughout the European Union, by fostering the balanced development of the
continent through cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation.
The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 works with cutting edge policy
areas in regional development through transnational projects.
A principal aim of the Programme is to expand the scope of territorial
cooperation and focus on high quality projects in innovation, the environment,
accessibility, and sustainable and competitive communities.
The 2007-2013 Programme connects regions from seven countries around the
North Sea, incorporating policy level planning and the long lasting and tangible
effects of projects.
Name: Smart Cities
www.smartcities.info
The project aims to understand which e-services services work best and why; it
will facilitate transfer of e-Government successes across national borders; it will
identify and support the real transformational impacts of such transfer of good
practices on local government; it will equip decision makers with the knowledge
and ambition to achieve further innovation in the delivery of e-enabled public
services; and will engage national authorities in this ambition. At the European
level, the project will support the creation and growth of communities of practice
across the NSR building organisational commitment to and capacity for inter-
regional government service sharing. Smart Cities will raise the bar in many
aspects.
Name: E-CLIC
www.e-clic.eu
Project building a cluster in the North Sea Region in the area of broadband
services, media technology, broadband systems, usability and testing, while
maintaining a balance between competencies, industry and academia.
The consortium brings together 16 partners from six member states.
The partners have considerable expertise and experience in the fields of
interest to E-CLIC, and the project combines a unique set of partner skills.
7. Name: Programme for Government
www.programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk
The Programme for Government sets out a programme for the newly elected
government over the next five years, inspired by the values of freedom, fairness
and responsibility, and a shared desire to work in the national interest.
The programme is intended to deliver radical, reforming government, a stronger
society, a smaller state and power and responsibility in the hands of every
citizen.
Name: CLG
www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment
The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) is the UK
Government department responsible for national policy on local government
in England. Its role is to transform local government, freeing it from central and
regional control, so that elected councils are free to deliver essential services
according to local needs, while meeting requirements for transparency,
innovation and accountability, so that local taxpayers get value for money and
responsive local services.
Name: BIS
www.bis.gov.uk
Government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (formally Enterprise
and Regulatory Reform). One of its aims is to help every region in England
to increase sustainable economic development and narrow the gap in growth
rates between regions. It works in partnership with the Regional Development
Agencies (RDAs) and other regional bodies, working to promote investment,
skills, employment, efficiency, innovation and competitiveness. Works across
government and with other partners to reduce the gap in growth rates between
the English Regions, and there are also links to the devolved administrations in
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Name: Public Service Agreements
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/about_the_cabinet_office/
publicserviceagreements.aspx
30 agreements set out the Government’s highest priority outcomes for the CSR
2007 period, 2008/09 to 2010/11. Each PSA is underpinned by a single Delivery
Agreement, shared across all contributing departments, and developed in
consultation with delivery partners and frontline workers.
They also describe the small basket of national outcome-focussed performance
indicators that will be used to measure progress towards each PSA. A subset of
indicators also have specific national targets or minimum standards attached.
Details are set out in the relevant Delivery Agreement. All other national
indicators are expected to improve against baseline trends over the course of
the spending period.
8. Name: Broadband Delivery UK
www.bis.gov.uk/policies/business-sectors/telecommunications/
broadband/bduk
Increasing access to broadband for households, business and communities
in poorly served areas across the UK is a key policy focus for the Coalition
Government.
This includes Universal Service Commitment to bring connectivity to those
areas still without a basic level of broadband access.
Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) has been created within BIS as a delivery
vehicle for these policies.
Name: Race Online 2012
www. raceonline2012.org
www. raceonline2012.org/local-authority-toolkit
Campaign with the ambition to make the UK the first nation in the world
where everyone can use the web. Currently working with Local Authorities to
understand what tools would be of the most use to them in helping people to
use the internet.
Working with DC10 plus on a toolkit for LAs to use.
Name: LGA
www.lga.gov.uk
Local Government Association: Based in Westminster, close to the Houses of
Parliament and Whitehall, the LGA is a voluntary lobbying organisation, acting
as the voice of the local government sector, and an authoritative and effective
advocate on its behalf.
Name: I&DeA
www.idea.gov.uk
Improvement & Development Agency: subsidiary of the Local Government
Association (LGA). It was formed in 1998 to work in partnership with all councils
in England and Wales, to serve people and places better, to enhance the
performance of the best authorities, accelerate the speed of improvement of
the rest, and develop the sector as a whole.
9. Name: Experian MOSAIC
www.experian.co.uk
www/pages/what_we_offer/products/mosaic_uk.html
Mosaic UK is the latest version of Experian’s award-winning Mosaic
classification that covers the whole of the UK. Mosaic classifies all consumers
in the United Kingdom into 61 types, aggregated into 11 groups. Using over 400
data variables and updated annually, it paints a rich picture of UK consumers
in terms of demographics, socio-economics, lifestyles, culture and behaviour.
Name: ESD-Toolkit & Porism
www.porism.com
Porism Ltd: Porism’s ESD-Toolkit publishes a list of some 600 customer facing
services supplied by councils. The list results from co-operation between the
Life Events Access Project (LEAP) and a number of councils, some of whom
previously published their own lists.
Name: DC10+
www.dc10plus.net
DC10 Plus: DC10plus aims to promote social inclusion through the use of
technology. It is a collaborative network of local authorities and their partners
dedicated to creating partnerships, sharing best practice and developing new
initiatives.
Name: Intellect UK
www.intellectuk.org
Intellect UK: UK Technology industry trade association
10. Name: LGDC
www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=8001600
Local Government Delivery Council: The LGDC provides a forum where activity
around transformation can be brought together, monitored and developed. The
council was established in 2007 under the auspices of the Local Government
Association (LGA). It held its first meeting in September 2007 and now meets
quarterly.
Name: JDC
Joint Delivery Council: This is the joint central/local council whereas LGDC is
just local government. This agrees the programme and LGDC delivers it.
Name: Government Office - East of England
www.go-east.gov.uk
Government Office - East of England: Joins up the work of eleven Central
Government Departments across the East of England to strengthen national
policies, integrate regional strategies and drive local delivery. Now being
abolished.
Name: EEDA
www.eeda.org.uk
East of England Development Agency: EEDA’s task is to improve the region’s
economic performance and ensure the East of England remains one of the
UK’s top performing regions.
EEDA is one of nine English regional development agencies (RDAs)and has
three key roles: setting and shaping the direction of economic development
in the East of England persuading and influencing others to bring resources
together to find innovative ways to solve challenging economic issues investing
in imaginative projects that challenge the norm and will have a significant
impact on economic development in the East of England.
Name: Regional Economic Strategy
www.eeda.org.uk/res
The regional economic strategy (RES) is a plan for the future prosperity
and well-being of everyone in the East of England. It assesses the region’s
strengths and weaknesses, and the major trends that will affect businesses and
communities over the next 20 years. The RES outlines a long-term vision for the
economy of the region, how we can get there and who can deliver it.
It was the East of England Development Agency’s job to put the RES together
in consultation with the rest of the region.
11. Name: Shaping Norfolk’s Future
www.shapingnorfolksfuture.org.uk
Name: Broadband Strategy
www.broadbandnorfolk.com
Shaping Norfolk’s Future is a partnership of approximately 300 businesses and
organisations spanning the private, public and voluntary sectors.
Its vision is for Norfolk to have a successful economy; an economy characterised
by innovative, dynamic and sustainable businesses. A county where people are
skilled and motivated with the opportunities to maximise their potential in a high
quality environment.
Broadband Norfolk tracks the broadband strategy, explaining what broadband is
and what has happened recently and how stakeholders can get involved.
Name: Norfolk Strategic Partnership and Norfolk Ambition
www.norfolkambition.gov.uk
Norfolk Strategic Partnership: This Partnership was set up in 2002 and their role
is to develop and deliver Norfolk Ambition, its long term (til 2023) sustainable
community strategy. The aim of the partnership is:
• knowing what Norfolk wants
• understanding the big issues for Norfolk
• making it happen, by working together
The Partnership involves over 300 representatives from the public, private,
voluntary and community sectors across Norfolk, including Norfolk Children
and Young People Partnership, Norfolk Healthy & Well Being Partnership,
District Local Strategic Partnerships. A Partnership Board and Management
Group drive the work of the Partnership.
Name: LAA
www.norfolkambition.gov.uk/consumption/groups/public/documents/article/
ncc066156.pdf
The Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement between Norfolk
and central government, to deliver improved outcomes across a range of
priorities.
The LAA is essentially a performance management framework; a series of
outcomes, measures, baselines and targets. It is the delivery plan for Norfolk
Ambition, the county’s sustainable community strategy.
12. Name: County Plan 2008-2011 and 2009 and 2010 supplements
www.norfolk.gov.uk/Council_and_democracy/Planning_and_
performance/County_council_plan
County Plan 2008-2011: The workplan for Norfolk County Council
outlining how it will deliver its strategic ambitions as an organisation and
how it contributes to the Norfolk Ambition Community Strategy
Name: Norfolk Insight
www.norfolkinsight.org.uk
Norfolk Insight is an online Local Information System providing statistical
and service delivery information to support the work of the Norfolk County
Strategic Partnership. It has a considerable amount of local data as well
as national data from sources such as the Office of National Statistics
and will be used as one of the key tools for Norfolk’s participation in
Smart Cities.
Name: UEA
www.uea.ac.uk
The Norfolk County Strategic Partnership is working with the Politics
department at the University of East Anglia and other partners to
investigate the reasons behind the county’s poor level of attainment
of level 3 skills. This will be partly delivered via a Knowledge Transfer
Partnership.
www.smartcities.info
www.epractice.eu/community/smartcities
The Smart Cities project is creating an innovation network between cities and academic
partners to develop and deliver better e-services to citizens and businesses in the North
Sea Region. Smart Cities is funded by the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme of the
European Union.
Smart Cities is PARTLY funded by the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme of the
European Union. The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 works with regional
development projects around the North Sea. Promoting transnational cooperation, the
Programme aims to make the region a better place to live, work and invest in.
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