Following the recent clarification from the States of Jersey (SoJ) regarding the status of their eGov programme, Digital Jersey (DJL) has issued this statement.
Paul Masterton, Chair of Digital Jersey commented on the developments:
"The development of eGov is absolutely vital for Jersey to reform and improve the way government works and to reduce the cost of service delivery; it is nothing less than the mechanism to reset the social contract between citizens and government. We, and the industry as a whole, are deeply disappointed that the eGov activity has been paused for review and redirection. While the motivation behind this decision is understandable, it is important that this break in activity be as short as possible to ensure that momentum is not lost.
We call on government to publish a timetable with clear 2015 deliverables to ensure that the programme of work continues. Over the last year our industry has committed significant amounts of resource to a series of consultations and activities to support this programme, work that has delivered a clear vision and structure for e-government in Jersey. It is essential that this hard work is not lost".
Going forward, Digital Jersey believes that there are four essential requirements needed from SoJ to ensure that eGov is delivered.
1. Aligned political leadership from the Chief Minister, with the support of the Treasury Minister and Senator Ozouf in his new role and the Council of Ministers more widely.
2. An aligned Corporate Management Board that supports eGovernment and unequivocal leadership of change.
3. An appropriately resourced eGov team with the authority and accountability to deliver.
4. An executable plan and communications strategy.
"The Chief Minister has clearly stated his support for the eGovernment programme and that it is essential for the future of the island".
Paul has also posted this as a debate topic on our LinkedIn group, we would value any additional thoughts and comments on this subject via that forum.
