A new report from the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (Solace) calls on councils to make e-government a part of their management mindset, and not just leave it to technical staff.
The report, Sing When you are Winning, aims to help local councils meet the government's ambitious target of delivering all services online by 2005. But it also warns that local people must not be allowed to fall victim to a "digital divide" caused by inequalities of access, education or ability.
Solace president James Hehir said: "The impact of e-government has the potential affect, engage and empower local people more than any other policy But to successfully deliver e-government, council chief executives must have a clear vision of their e-community and explore all the possibilities posed by technology."
More than 40% of councillors and senior officers believe the increasing role of the private sector in local government service delivery represents a significant risk to their council, according to a survey from the Local Government Association (LGA) and Zurich Municipal.
But the survey of delegates at the LGA's annual conference also found that nearly half felt public private partnerships were crucial to improving public services.
• Many female councillors stand down from local government because they find the council chamber too aggressive and dislike the attitude of male colleagues, a report released by the LGA claims today.
The report says, however, that the main problem facing women is balancing family life and council duties. The difficulty of arranging childcare and guilt about leaving their children also figure highly.
"We know that the proportion of women entering politics is increasing, but with 73% of councillors being male and some local authorities with less than 10% female councillors, it is clear we must do more to attract women," said LGA equalities chair Margaret Eaton.
The report, Representing the People, is based on focus group interviews and highlights some of the key reasons that women, ethnic minorities and the full-time employed are under-represented in local government.
