The Cabinet Office this week announced the aim to ‘scrap’ up to 75% of Government websites. A good idea or another short-sighted spending cut?

It’s no surprise, building and maintaining a website costs money. For some, this expense is wasteful. Akin to ‘pointless’ marketing money which could be better spent on frontline services.

When the chips are down, IT and communications are easy pickings. Like sport and culture, they’re ‘nice to haves’ but not essential while we’re hunkered down in the mire.

Well, I’m sorry to say but these days the web is integral to all our lives, whether we like it or not. OK, so some people might not have access to the internet, but many more do and as many rely heavily on online services.

We’re way past the tipping point of the web being a glamourous ‘optional extra’. We wouldn’t dream of cutting phone lines or shutting reception areas. Not least without having an alternative way to connect with customers.

When banks close branches, there’s public outcry. When Royal Mail close Post Offices, again, the public anger is felt. But with the web….we’re not yet as passionate – but we should be!

One Gov

It’s true, the ‘gov-web’ should work far, far more efficiently. But then that could be said about the government in general right? Who cares which department offers that service…! I pay my taxes – just give me what I want, when I want it!

Some incredible things have happened in the past 10 years. Shifting information and services online has without question been a benefit. Has it all been right? No. Can we make some improvements? Hell yes. But should we simple just pull the plug…?

OK, so duplication is a massive problem. Over-complicated and pointless information, again a problem. Badly procured IT contracts for licences and services, expensive and a problem. Isolated and unconnected services, yet another problem.

Direct.gov goes some way to addressing this, but not nearly far enough. One-Gov is the ultimate answer. An all-encompassing online experience. Where public services and information are just one click away.

But if we’re not willing to pay for what we already have, are we yet willing to pay to improve?

Disconnected

‘How’ we make future web changes becomes vitally important. I’m sorry to say, but simply shutting websites isn’t the answer. When they were less essential maybe, but not anymore. That makes people even less connected, less informed and less able to access services. (Remember the Post Offices?)

The web is now the shop window of frontline services. Access to them is now being driven increasingly online. Why, because it’s far more cost effective than doing it over the phone or via reception areas. OK, so the ‘cost be customer’ may be high in some case now. But that can only ever come down. Just like a hospital, it’s major spend is during the build. Once it’s there it’s relatively cheap to maintain.

The web also offers better customer service – not restricted to office hours, it’s convenient for the customer and often quicker, cheaper and easier. Because of this, many authorities have been able to make ‘cost savings’ by cutting back-room admin staff (again, for some a good thing).

So by scrapping websites now, there simply isn’t the admin staff to replace online services with people again. And if you want them to do ‘more with less’ – the main way is to drive self-service to the web.

It’s ironic, MPs bung all their receipts online to make them accountable. Will this be part of the website cull? There’s some interesting times, and choices ahead.

Posted on June 27th, 2010 in Blog