Just half of the UK population has used the internet in the last year to access information about government or local council services or completed a government form or process online, according to Ofcom research.

Forty-two per cent of people interviewed said that they had looked for information online about a government or local council service, or used services such as paying their road tax or registering for Child Tax Credits online. Among people who have the internet at home, this rises to 55 per cent who have used these services online.

However, only 15 per cent of people from areas of multiple deprivation have used similar information or services online. Areas of multiple deprivation are defined by a range of factors including economic, social and housing issues.

The research comes as more and more services, such as central and local government services, are available online.

EASIER TO ENGAGE
The majority of people (70 per cent of the online sample, 60 per cent of the general population) say that the internet has made it easier to engage in citizen participation activities, such as contacting an MP or signing a petition. But in areas of multiple deprivation less than half of people interviewed agreed (42 per cent) and 20 per cent disagreed.

LACK OF AWARENESS
However, respondents were not always aware of what can be done online (for example, contacting your MP, getting in touch with the local council or joining a campaign). Among the online sample interviewed, 31 per cent were unaware of online citizen participation opportunities and lack of awareness increases to 72 per cent amongst those in areas of multiple deprivation.

A recurring theme throughout the research was a desire to keep traditional methods of contact. Thirty three per cent of the online user sample would rather deal with someone face to face, for example, when contacting their MP. Sixty three per cent of people living in areas of multiple deprivation expressed the same view.

TRUST AND CONFIDENCE ISSUES
Trust and confidence were also issues. Almost half (46 per cent) of those from areas of multiple deprivation said that they did not sufficiently trust the internet for civic activities and 40 per cent said that they lack confidence to participate in citizen activities online. Among the online users, one in ten (9 per cent) said that they lack confidence to participate in citizen activities online and the same proportion (9 per cent) agreed that they don’t sufficiently trust the internet for citizen activities.

MOTIVATORS FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
Feeling strongly about an issue or cause is the most important reason for people to take part in citizen activities (whether on or offline) among both online users and multiple deprivation area populations (42 of online user sample and 43 per cent of people living in areas of multiple deprivation). Being invited to take part also plays a role with just under a third of people asked.

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I know some people whom have had experience working in organisations where very strict internet access policies were implemented and where staff that would have formerly chosen to work late or perhaps whom would have worked through lunch if they could have just checked their personal email or priced a holiday or booked a ticket on ticketmaster etc.. instead went home. And not only went home in order to book their ticket or check their mail, but now also went home because their loyalty to the organisation was diminished and their motivation to work harder reduced.

Many young internet users are growing up using social networking sites such as MySpace, Bebo and Facebook, they are messaging each other with messenger or Gmail chat, they are talking and video conferencing with Skype or perhaps even ‘meeting’ in Second Life. Very soon many of these young ‘net-genners’ will be in the work force and will expect to be able to communicate with Government and with business using the tools with which they grew up. If these tools and technologies are not available to government employees they will not be able to communicate effectively with their customers, the public. Similarly as ‘net-genners’ have grown up communicating through these ‘Web 2.0′ tools they are not likely to find working for a government organisation appealing if that organisation prohibits all of the technologies that constitute the infrastructure of ‘net-genners’ social and professional communications.

In addition to this many employees now already have broadband Internet access on their mobile phones and as laptops get cheaper (a brand new laptop in Ireland can be purchased for about 330 Euro at the moment) many employees will soon have an always-on internet enabled device available to them. An organisation today trying to restrict access to the internet is akin to King Canute commanding the tide not to come in. Rather than restrict, it would be wiser for organisations to create practical and realistic policies that enhance people’s working lives and make their jobs and communications easier and better.

For a practical starting point see the Irish Data Commissioners website:

Use of the Computer Network, E-Mail and Internet.

Private use of the Internet in the workplace and the monitoring of private emails pose certain challenges. A workplace policy should be in place in an open and transparent manner to provide that:

• A balance is required between the legitimate rights of employers and the personal privacy rights of employees
• Any monitoring activity should be transparent to workers
• Employers should consider whether they would obtain the same results with traditional measures of supervision
• Monitoring should be fair and proportionate with prevention being more important than detection.

The Data Commissioner’s Website lists their own policy in addition to providing guidelines on data protection and privacy on an organisations network.

People who use the internet to contact their local authority, instead of writing or driving to council offices, could help save the equivalent of millions of air miles in carbon emissions, according to research commissioned by Communities and Local Government.

The research was based on real life data supplied by Sunderland City Council which showed that increasing the number of online applications for five key local authority services – planning, schools admissions, registrar’s certificates, environmental services enquiries and council tax payments.

The results revealed the city council could save 80,000 kg of CO2 each year. Rolled out nationally this is the equivalent of over 14,000 tonnes of CO2 or 5,362 return air flights from Heathrow to Malaga each year.

Parmjit Dhanda, e-Government minister said:

“We know that driving to the Town Hall to carry out a transaction uses 20 times more energy than doing it online. That’s why it’s so important that we encourage people to talk to their local authority through the web.

“The Best Foot Forward study supports Government plans for a low carbon economy and debunks the received wisdom that increases in IT server capacity negate any CO2 savings arising from the Internet economy.Communities and Local Government News Release

Download the report here:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/carbonefficiencies