Evaluating Electronic Local Government in the UK

An array of UK government initiatives have been launched since 1997, collectively being known as the local government modernization agenda. This can be seen as an attempt to transform the structures and performance of local authorities in the UK. A parallel set of initiatives, the electronic government agenda, were launched in 2000 and have attempted to extend the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) within local government. This paper describes the context for and themes within both agendas, the aim being to describe the existing and likely dynamics of the relationship between innovations in ICTs within local government and the modernization of local government. The paper presents an analysis of the electronic government strategies of 22 Welsh unitary authorities and uses this analysis for highlighting a number of issues relating to the progress of the electronic local government agenda within the UK. The paper concludes with a call for longitudinal investigation in this area