Frequently Asked Questions

e-Government

• What is e-Government or electronic Government?
• Can I find out about what Wrexham are doing with e-Government?

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Please also see further information about electronic Government >>

What is e-Government or electronic government?

E-Government or 'Electronic Government' is about the public sector using technologies, such as the internet, to deliver better and more customer-focussed services. People want to be able to communicate with central and local government at a time and in a way that is most convenient to them, rather than being restricted by opening hours and the locations of Council or Government offices. E-Government is also concerned with getting public sector services to work more effectively by using technologies to improve business processes and thereby improve services to the public.

In Wrexham e-Government has developed into a strategy for improving Customer Access to Services (CAS). Wrexham Council's web site has won many awards in recent years and provides round the clock access to information and transactional facilities on a wide range of services. The Council's Customer Access to Services plans seek to build on this and are geared towards improving access via the phone and face to face, which the public have consistently indicated is their favoured way of accessing Council and other public services. Improvements will include the development of dedicated telephony teams with access to enhanced technology to deal more effectively with enquiries by phone. The Council also has plans (resources permitting), to develop a 'One Stop Shop' facility to provide a convenient location where the public can call in and access all Council services.

E-government is also about "joined-up" government. This means improving communications between public sector agencies, for example, if an elderly person needs care after an illness, they may be in contact with Social Services at the Council, the Health Services, the Benefits Agency and possibly a privately-run home. We want to make sure that the elderly person is properly supported throughout this process, and to do this, members of staff from each of these organisations need to be kept up to date on the case in a timely fashion - this can be achieved through the use of common technology.

Finally e-government is about keeping our citizens involved in local democracy. The turnout for elections has become disappointing, so to encourage people to participate in future elections, alternative ways of voting may be supported, for example over the telephone, in a kiosks or over a secure link on the internet.

If you would like further information about the ambitions for a digital Wales please visit the Broadband Wales Observatory website.