UK Struggles to Meet E-Gov Goals

The United Kingdom won't meet its goal of delivering all government services to citizens and businesses electronically by 2005, according to a recent report by Forrester Research Inc. of Cambridge, Mass.

The Forrester study included 14 government departments and 45 contractors. Eighty-seven percent of interviewees said the U.K. government would fail in its electronic government mission.

The study found many government departments have clear visions of e-government but lack understanding of how to implement it effectively. Because of this, they are jeopardizing a potential saving of £3.7 billion ($5.4 billion) in the delivery of government services between 2001 and 2005, said Caroline Sceats, a Forrester analyst in London.

Government departments must move away from a go-it-alone strategy, Sceats said. They must increase their efforts to work together, sharing information and eliminating duplication by building e-government systems together.