Kent County Council deployed CMS.RAPID in partnership with Artemis. As a result Kent remains at the leading edge of technology; the new website reinforces Kent's position as a beacon of 'Excellence' and sets the standards for others to follow.
Kent County Council, rated as 'Excellent' in the Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) undertaken by the Audit Commission, is setting new benchmarks as Local Government gears itself up to meet the efficiency targets set out in the Gershon Review.
Guidance provided in HM Government's paper, Transformational Government, has highlighted technology as an enabler to derive efficiency gains. In particular, as use of the Internet continues to rise and drive down service costs in the private sector, Local Authorities are being urged to adopt internet and web service technologies to provide a lower cost access channel to the information and services they provide.
According to Government reports, IEG funding has in the main been invested in back-end systems, yet areas of weakness have actually been in providing the right information at the right time to the right person. Kent County Council has therefore partnered with technical consultants, Artemis Corporation, to address this issue by developing front-end internet technologies that ensure information and services are delivered to the appropriate audiences on a 24/7 basis, whilst complying with Government policies and standards.
The newly developed Web site at Kent County Council has been implemented in a collaborative engagement between Artemis consultants and Council staff. Based upon Microsoft Content Management Server 2002, Kent were able to accelerate the deployment using CMS.RAPID. Built by Artemis, CMS.RAPID underpins Microsoft's Local Authority Portal Solution providing a repeatable solution incorporating a range of commonly required functionality out-of-the-box and a framework for simplified extensibility to ensure the system can adapt quickly in accordance with shifting business requirements.
The newly launched website at www.kent.gov.uk is therefore built with transformation of Local Authority services in mind. However, the vision is not just about transforming government through technology, it is also about making Kent transformational through the use of technology. Having deployed CMS.RAPID in partnership with Artemis, Kent County Council remains at the leading edge of technology and transformation; the new website reinforces Kent's position as a beacon of 'Excellence' and sets the standards for others to follow.
