National Recognition for GOSS Client

Dorsetforyou.com became the UK's first single online Local Authority portal to provide joined-up services for citizens across five Local Authorities in April 2005; this achievement has now received National recognition.

Dorsetforyou.com is the best example of joined up e-Government services, and this has been recognised by the e-Government National Awards,held on 25 January 2006 in London at the Savoy Hotel. The Awards showcase 95 finalists - UK councils - and reward them for their successes within this field.

The winning Partnership pictured with their award. From left to right: Alan Breakwell Chief Executive of East Dorset District Council, Bernie Dinsdale ICT Strategy Manager for Dorset County Council, Vic Smith Head of Financial Services East Dorset District Council and John Rider-Dobson Dorsetforyou Partnership Manager.

GOSS would therefore like to congratulate Dorset County Council and it's partners, West Dorset District Council,East Dorset District Council, Christchurch Borough Council and North Dorset District Council for their achievement in winning the 02 sponsored award for Joined-Up Services. The Award is well deserved, particularly as the Dorsetforyou project is seen as a benchmark for best practice in e-Government.

Dorsetforyou.com have used GOSS iCM software to provide users with a robust, feature rich, and secure portal platform that integrates seamlessly with Software AG, the projects prime contractor and Europe's leading supplier of XML - based solutions.

The portal provides the citizens of five Local Authorities within Dorset a 'one stop shop' for information and services.This partnership enables information to be effectively disseminated across the partnership area.

Publictechnology.net reveals that Cabinet Office Minister Jim Murphy MP, Ian Watmore, Government CIO and Head of the Cabinet Office e-Government Unit played an integral role in the awards. The publication cites a comment from Cabinet Office Minister Jim Murphy, who says:

"e-Government is one of the most important ways the Government can deliver public services reform. We are committed to developing Government IT systems and services that make real and tangible improvements to the lives of British people and businesses. The e-Government National Awards are our way to recognise the best attempts to deliver on this commitment."

The Awards are supported by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) which aims to highlight best practice in the realms of:

• Efficiency - using electronic service delivery to improve the citizen/'customer' experience and interaction with local government.
• Take-up - the delivery of a high e-enabled service take-up through achieving effective service delivery and marketing.
• Leadership through electronic channels of communication to "provide strong local solutions for local circumstances."

Meanwhile, GOSS is looking forward to working with Dorsetforyou in 2006, and will continue to evolve and be innovative in its approach to local Government and the development of e-democracy.