The application of information and communication technologies in the UK Local Government planning system to deliver effective and efficient services.

4th Annual Information Studies Symposium 2011Department of Information and Communications

Manchester Metropolitan University

Background

The UK Local Authorities:

are directly accountable and responsible to plan the environment of their region.

basically implement local plans and try to make them workable for sustainable development.

spend huge budget to ensure that planning system delivers realistic advantages for the local communities.

are facing striking expenditure cuts these days and look for new ways to deliver planning services both efficiently and effectively.

Introduction

The Local Government planning teams combined with leading edge technology try to perform excellence and ensure best planning practices for regional sustainable development.

Information and Communication Technologies are considered essential to deliver effective and efficient services in the UK Local Government.

The value for cost effectiveness, economical viability, time efficiency and performance improvements are therefore considered with prominence in the UK Local Government planning system.

ICT in Planning System

The UK Local Government’ vision about ICT is to reduce the cost of service delivery and to provide assistance to build a bridge between people and authorities for sustainable development.

Data analysis from the field study suggests that the Local Authorities are placing great emphasis on using ICTs in planning to enable electronic service delivery.

Planning policy makers emphasize on economic competitiveness to integrate a variety of innovative technologies for effective and efficient planning service delivery.

Research Methodology

The study is conducted in five planning authorities in the South East Midlands region (Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Luton Borough Council).

The research framework is developed on the basis of collected data from the participating Local Authorities’ planning departments through interviews, questionnaires, forums, case studies and observations.

The research planning framework has been modified based on regular interviews and observations sessions to explore promising challenges about the role of ICT in delivering effective and efficient planning services in the Local Government.

The Research Outcome

The outcome of this study produces result at two stages:

At first stage this study produces a detailed set of planning existing framework that provides a comprehensive analysis of data for internal communication channels in each participating planning department.

At second stage this study produces a comparison and benchmarking analysis to let the participating authorities to see how they are responding and performing in relation to their regional counterparts.

Data Analysis and Benchmarking Field Study, Phase-I (June 2009 – December 2009)

This preliminary research survey was carried out in the participating Local Authorities’ Planning Departments.

Questionnaires are sent to the staff members of all participating authorities to collect data for data analysis.

The aim of data analysis is to identify basic planning process issues and the appropriate use of ICTs in order to evaluate the delivery of excellent planning services.

It is subjective demand that the effective and efficient use of Information and Communication Technologies in planning system needs to be evaluated.

The key elements for an effective internal communication

Data Analysis and Benchmarking Field Study - I

The General Planning Permission Process Model in the UK Local Government

This research field study basically investigates the appropriate mix of Communication, People, Processes and Knowledge in planning.

The research framework is developed on the basis of collected data through interviews, questionnaire, online forums and observations during this phase of research work.

These field results are helpful in designing and developing the planning framework model as well as to verify and test it.

The field study provides the evidence base for hybrid system to help in understanding the socio-technological system and setting up the planning policies for further improvements.

Data Analysis and Benchmarking Field Study, Phase-II (March 2010-December 2010)

Applications of ICTs for Effective and Efficient Planning Services

This survey provides sufficient data to investigate the need for socio-technological planning system and online planning permission process for better use of technologies.

It is observed during this survey that the Local Authorities are not making the best out of the technological investment made over the last 10 years as part of the e-government agenda in UK.

It is therefore obvious that a change for a better, well customised and fully integrated planning system is fundamental.

The data analysis and benchmarking among participating authorities evaluated the best planning practices adoption and promotion for continuous performance improvement.

Data Analysis and Benchmarking Field Study, Phase-III (January 2011-April 2011)

PKOT-MODEL

(Socio-Technological System for better planning workforce Performance)

Research Limitations

There are some limitations to conduct this study:

It is time consuming to access the Councils’ staff for relevant data collection.

It is challenging to analyse the data from five Local Councils.

It is tricky from the collected facts to benchmark and judge the considerable improvement in the planning performance.

To overcome these limitations a literature review and grounded theory has provided high quality data to support the role of ICT in planning for effective and efficient service delivery.

Literature Review

The Local Authorities have the capability to co-ordinate many independent functions in accordance with the needs and demands of the public (Chandler, 2001).

This is a fact that the State Government has time and again placed pressure to the Local Authorities to enhance the proportion of public services delivered electronically (Raynsford and Beecham, 2002).

This is especially true for the implementation of ICT in the planning system, where cross-discipline project teams are essential to a robust solution (FSN, 2007).

One of the most frightening statistics in public sector ICT is to look at the number of failed ICT projects. Over 70 per cent, according to some sources, of ICT projects fail (Rainey, 2007).

ICTs are used to respond to citizens’ needs quicker, to decentralise public administration and to enhance the Local Governments’ ability to oversee key projects (Prybutok et al, 2008).

Planning professionals are coming under increasing pressure as cuts to their budgets are impacting at a time management, which is increasing demand for ICT better services in order to take cost out of other parts of the organisation (SOCITM, 2010).

Conclusion

The primary aim of this research study is to investigate the role of technologies and their applications in delivering effective and efficient planning services.

The socio-technological planning system requirements has become a more overwhelming and complex task as the Local Authority planning teams collide with the ICTs for sustainability these days.

The survey results demonstrate that it is sensible to carry out further research to identify and resolve the key barrier to the adoption of the appropriate ICTs use in planning system for efficient and effective planning service delivery.

Thanks !!!

Any Question Please!

Nasrullah Khan KhiljiSchool of Computing and Technology

University of West London, TVUEmail: nas-khilji@hotmail.co.uk