1. The Digital Challenge IRRV Conference 2015 Simon Bailey IRRV Iscas LTD @iscas

2. About Me Freelance R and B 37 + years in R and B Keen interest in technology/web sites/working smarter Articles for IRRV Insight and Benefit Magazine Currently Welfare Reform Programme Manager – Milton Keynes Council

3. Simon Bailey IRRV Insight June 1997 100 authorities with web site Will see connection in libraries etc. Email ? Benefit Calculation Service Payment perhaps Trust growing Publicity - needed

4. When was this said? “New technology offers opportunities and choice. It can give us access to services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will make our lives easier. Government intends to be at the head of these developments” Labour – 1999 – 16 years ago !!! The Internet was only 25 years old in 2014!

5. It’s Nothing New IEGs BVPI 157 / e enabled transactions Priority Outcomes – Who moved that target – Provision to use E Citizens Project/Nomad project Martha Lane Fox – Race on line 2012 1000 partner organisations – Digital champion – Where is she now? – Baroness Lane Fox Francis Maude “We need to be digital by default” – Governments Digital Inclusion Strategy and Charter – 14 Apr 2014 One more bite at the cherry

6. So what's the problem? 16 Million lack basic web skill (ONS 2013) 7.1% population have never used the internet – 53% of which disabled The good news – Number of over 75’s usage growing – Young are getting older But we have more immigrants than natives – digitally Key is not getting people on line but its having the skills and knowledge to use the internet The problem might be going away !!

7. “We need to be digital by default” Its not going to happen

8. What is the Challenge We need to look at the ways we are working How best to use what we have got Local Government is being financially challenged What more we can do digitally and how do we get people to use it. What the future may look like and how do we respond to it

9. We Serve Our Customers Therefore services must be – Easily Accessible 24/7 – not hidden away – Simple to Use No hoops to jump through – Streamlined The easiest route for the customers journey No-one is ever going to move to a channel or service that is harder to use or less beneficial – Convenient Available at a time and a place for the customer – Cost Effective For the Council – Robust Work first time and every time

10. Time to get our own house in order Local Authority Web Sites (Socitm 2015) – 34 four star sites out of 400+ Slight Increase on 2014 – Only 32% passed the mobile standard – My favourite site – Redbridge I – Web3.0 – Can forms be used on mobile site? – Do we need an App? – Terminology can be confusing Discounts/exemptions – Must be as good as the best – Local Authority Front Door – Satisfactions down by 16% (Better Connected 2014) – Failure up by 16% (Better connected 2014)

11. SOCITM – Better Connected 2015 Council Tax is a selection for 2015 From October 2015 What will they be looking for – I think – Up to date – Easy to navigate – Top Tasks – Accurate – Easy to read – Provides the answers – No PDFs – A to Z – Mobile Friendly Useful Usable and Used

12. E Billing The Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rating (Electronic Communications) (England) (No. 2) Order 2003 Allows for Council Tax And NNDR Bills to be served electronically Customer has to agree

13. Some Stats

14. E Billing the issues I needed to walk the talk with my council People will always look for the easiest option and take this as their access channel of choice. – The task is then to make their access channel of choice, your channel of choice. Costs fall on the billing authority? Business case doesn't stack up? Cost of e billing modules? What do you pay for postage? Not part of the Council Strategy? Don’t Forget opportunity costs/savings

15. Call to Action Charge for Paper Bills Use of Section 13a No opt in – Change forms to opt out Mandatory scheme Reminders and Finals to be included All other enforcement documents Staff to sell E billing Call to IRRV to review with software houses

17. The Future is the Internet of Things (IoT) What is the Internet of Things? Why is it important? A new way to raise revenue – Charging for use Roads Schools Bins by weight Links to occupancy Become independent from government funding ? “ New technology offers opportunities and choice. It can give us access to services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will make our lives easier. Government intends to be at the head of these developments” - 1999

18. Thank you for listening Email: simon@iscas.co.uk Web: iscas.co.uk Twitter @iscas LinkedIn Questions or Comments?