12 July 2005
The public want the government to increase its online provision to allow greater access to a wide range of services.
Research by What ICT? reports that 52 per cent of people want public services to be available online, whilst 68 per cent believe that customer satisfaction levels need to be improved.
However, the report by Alexandra Jones and Laura Williams of The Work Foundation and backed by Adobe, warns that an increase in e-government services could lead to the exclusion of those not yet ready for the digital age. In particular, women, older people and part-time workers prefer to access services via telephone or in a face-to-face environment.
"People who require the most public services are usually those with the least access to ICT," said Ms Jones, senior researcher with The Work Foundation.
"Public servants need to design services around the different needs of different groups, making use of ICT. This could mean text messages for young people and telephone services for older people. The next challenge is to encourage use of more cost-effective services whilst maintaining quality and inclusion."
© DeHavilland Information Services plc
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