Ten top applications for generating the high usage of local authority intranets that is critical to their role in supporting local government transformation and efficiency, are set out in a new report from Socitm Insight.
Among them are HR applications such as absence recording, flexi-time management, expense claims, and job vacancies; Geographical information systems (GIS); committee information; contact information; leader and senior management briefings; and bulletin boards including classifieds, discussion, lost and found, and events.
Better connected intranets — emerging good practice in driving efficiency shows how successful intranets provide employees with access to information, services and applications that deliver efficiencies year on year. It also shows how a good intranet establishes an online community across service areas and locations, and establishes a channel for workforce consultation, engagement, and, in some cases, culture change.
The report points out that up to now, intranets have been a neglected area for development compared with public websites. However, the need for service transformation demands major internal changes which in turn require much more efficient ways of informing and communicating within the organisation. In addition, employees need to be well informed about, and fully engaged with, the services being offered to customers, and this is where the intranet has a major contribution to make.
The report features examples of good practice around intranets developed by four different types of council over the past two years. These are:
- Chorley Borough Council
- Lincolnshire County Council
- Borough of Poole
- Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
The research for the report was conducted through a series of workshops held in 2006 jointly with the Society of Public Information Networks (SpiN). Through these workshops a total of 34 councils took part, and the ideas, experiences and lessons shared provided a basis for the reports findings about good practice in developing an intranet and establishing and maintaining its structure and content.
Writing in the report’s foreword, Paul Morris, Deputy Chief Executive of Chorley Borough Council says: ‘Transforming our council through investing in our intranet is one of the best decisions I have been involved in. The improvements delivered have outperformed our expectations on all fronts.’
According to Socitm Insight programme manager Martin Greenwood: ‘The measure of success of an intranet is that it is used regularly every day and trusted by all employees as the essential source of information for their work. It is therefore crucial to develop applications that employees want, or need, to use in the course of their working day. Although the intranet is not the same as a website, our research shows that the ‘useful, usable and used’ framework from the annual Better connected reports on external websites can nevertheless be adapted for use as a guide to the content and design of the intranet.’
Better connected intranets — emerging good practice in driving efficiency is available in pdf format to Socitm Insight subscribers and as a 52pp printed report. Non-subscribers can order the report (cost £110 - Socitm members £95) from the Socitm website www.socitm.gov.uk.
Further information
Vicky Sargent or Peter Coates, Socitm Press Office
Tel: 0845 094 5641 email: vicky.sargent@socitm.gov.uk or peter.coates@socitm.gov.uk
Martin Greenwood, Programme Manager, Socitm Insight
Tel: 01926 498703 or 07967 383755 e-mail: martin.greenwood@socitm.gov.uk