Priority Outcomes for 2005 and PARSOL Products

Your local authority will recently have received a letter from ODPM on Implementing Electronic Government (IEG). The letter, dated 2 June 2004, announced the publication of guidance on the implementation of local e-government Priority Services. It also highlighted the link between the successful delivery of the specified Priority Outcomes and future IEG funding.

As a Local e-Government National Project delivered by local authorities for local authorities, funded by ODPM, PARSOL (Planning and Regulatory Services Online) exists to provide systems, standards, toolkits and advice to help you deliver your services online by the end of 2005.

We believe the PARSOL product catalogue can make a significant contribution towards enabling your authority to meet a number of these Priority Outcomes. PARSOL has products relating to planning, environmental services, trading standards and building control. The products contribute at every level from the guidance provided within the toolkits through to the provision of actual deployable software.

Specifically, as referenced in the Priority Services paper, PARSOL can help you deliver the following Priority Outcomes :

R7 - Public access to online applications for street-scene licences.
R8 - Receipt and processing of planning and building control applications.
G3 - Public participation in consultations on matters of local interest e.g. online access to licensing applications, and registration of preferences to be alerted by e-mail of new applications of interest.
G5 - Public access to corporate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for map based presentation of property-related information.
G7 - Use of technology to integrate planning, regulation and licensing functions (including Entertainment Licensing and Liquor Licensing) in order to improve policy and decision-making processes around the prevention of anti-social behaviour.
E4 - Agreed baseline and targets for take-up of planning and regulatory services online, including targets for customer satisfaction and efficiency savings.

In addition to those outlined above PARSOL has products which contribute to the delivery of a number of the other Priority Outcomes - these are detailed in the following matrix. A list of the PARSOL products is contained in the summary PARSOL Product Catalogue.

Whilst the PARSOL products naturally focus on Planning and Regulatory services, many of the solutions and guidance materials can be applied equally to similar services included in the Priority Outcomes definitions. For example, electronic consultation (including citizen participation), public access to information, submitting online applications, using core systems (e.g. GIS) to link services, and achieving higher first-time responses to public queries are all covered in different ways within the PARSOL product set - and all apply across other service areas.

PARSOL Product Availability

The PARSOL e-Planning Service Delivery Standards, containing cross references to the Priority Outcomes , were launched at the Royal Town Planning Institute Convention on 24 June 2004. Copies were sent to every local authority Chief Executive and Head of Planning. The supporting PARSOL Implementation and Guidance Toolkits will help authorities to both deliver the described standards and the services identified in the Priority Outcomes.

The full range of PARSOL products was launched by the e-Government Minister, Phil Hope MP, at the LGA Annual Conference on 8 th July 2004. The great majority of these PARSOL products (including the standards and toolkits) are now available to download from this web site.

Future Support from PARSOL

PARSOL has now been tasked by ODPM with rolling out the PARSOL products across the local authority community and supporting local authorities in delivering the related Priority Outcomes . To this end PARSOL will be:

holding a series of open-invitation regional Experience Sharing Workshops in the Autumn as part of the wider National Projects programme;
holding more detailed Planning Service Implementation Workshops with selected local authorities that wish to implement the PARSOL Planning Services products;
providing site visits and demonstrations of the Regulatory Services software products upon request;

By linking the provision of funding with the delivery of the Priority Outcomes , ODPM is seeking to ensure that every local authority meets the 2005 target for the delivery of online services. The IEG funding, and that funding provided by the Planning Delivery Grant, provide a unique opportunity to make a step change in the delivery of e-enabled planning and regulatory services. In achieving this change local authorities will have made a significant improvement to the services provided to citizens and businesses. PARSOL is here to help you successfully achieve this change.

To download a PDF version of the table below please click here.

PRIORITY AREA	OUTCOME (R=REQUIRED; G=GOOD; E=EXCELLENT)	PARSOL DELIVERABLE/SERVICE
3. DEMOCRATIC RENEWAL To promote greater public involvement in local decision-making and to enhance the representative role of councillors in the community through the use of technology. Shared Service/ National Priority: e-voting / e-consultation	Citizen participation and response to forthcoming consultations and decisions on matters of public interest (e-consultation), including facility for citizens to sign up for e-mail and/or SMS text alerts on nominated topics (G3) .	PARSOL Exchange is designed as an e-consultation system. Whilst the initial pilot operation will be used to handle consultation on Planning Applications and Local Development Plans, the system could be used to accommodate e-consultation on a wide range of public interest documents. Registered users may view documents, submit comments and track progress. PARSOL has formally requested additional funding to provide public access, extend the system to national level and widen the types of document that are available for consultation.

4. LOCAL ENVIRONMENT To help improve the quality cleanliness and safety of our public space by using technology to integrate relevant functions more closely. Shared Service / National Priority: transforming our local environment creating safer and stronger communities e-Planning	Public reporting/applications, procurement and tracking of environmental services, includes waste management and street scene (e.g. abandoned cars, graffiti removal, bulky waste removal, recycling) (R7) .	PARSOL Enforcement systems developed by commercial suppliers can be used to give the citizen the power to report and track possible infringements of planning control. PARSOL Online Licensing handles the online submission and processing of licence applications (many of which relate to environmental services). This range is currently being extended to include street scene applications. Collecting such data electronically can provide councils with greater visibility of provision and can be the platform on which to base further citizen engagement.
	Receipt and processing of planning and building control applications (R8) .	PARSOL Expert Systems can provide the citizen with a definitive answer regarding the need for planning applications and can therefore reduce the volume of pre-application queries raised with councils. PARSOL Exchange provides an e-consultation service that ensures a speedy, consistent and visible decision making process within the planning application processing cycle. PARSOL Toolkits provide advice and guidance around the implementation of online planning application services. This includes advice on culture change, implementation options and technical issues.
4. LOCAL ENVIRONMENT (continued)	Public access to corporate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for map-based data presentation of property-related information (G5) .	PARSOL Toolkits include advice and guidance on the electronic capture of map-based information (GIS) and capturing planning related information (EDM). The toolkits also address the issue of integrating GIS systems with online applications such as the PARSOL Expert Systems.
	Sharing of Trading Standards data between councils for business planning and enforcement purposes (G6) .	PARSOL Online Licensing systems can be used for the submission and processing or licences related to Trading Standards and can be used as the capture mechanism for the creation of database for subsequent information sharing on Trading Standards.
	Use of technology to integrate planning, regulation and licensing functions (including Entertainment Licensing and Liquor Licensing) in order to improve policy and decision-making processes around the preventions of anti-social behaviour (G7) .	PARSOL Informing Users provides online information on regulations tailored to specific business types. PARSOL Self Assessment allows businesses to assess their own performance against specific regulations and PARSOL Online Licensing allows the submission and processing of licence applications. These are integrated such that the citizen or business reviewing the regulation can then follow a link to submit an application where required. PARSOL Exchange facilitates decision making process on planning applications and could be used in similar way to serve licensing applications for even greater automation and integration of information. PARSOL Planning Data Monitoring is specifically designed to bring together the information that is required to better inform policy on planning.
	Agreed baseline and targets for take-up of planning and regulatory services online, including targets for customer satisfaction and efficiency savings (E4) .	The e-Planning Service Delivery Standards set the benchmark for service delivery to citizens and businesses. The supporting Quick Assessment Guide enable local authorities to assess their current degree of compliance and determine actions plans for improved e-service levels. The PARSOL ICT Baseline Survey and PPA Website Reviews provide further base measures and criteria to assist in targeted improvement and associated measurement.

8. TRANSPORT To meet transport needs more effectively through the provision of real time local transport information and utilising technologies to improve traffic and transport management. Shared Service / National Priority: Meeting local transport needs more effectively	Public e-consultation facilities for new proposals on traffic management (e.g. controlled parking zones (CPZs), traffic calming schemes), including publication of consultation survey results (R15) .	PARSOL Exchange is designed as an e-consultation system. Whilst the initial pilot operation will be used to handle consultation on Planning Applications and Local Development Plans, the system could be used to accommodate e-consultation on a wide range of public interest documents. PARSOL Exchange is well suited for consultation on matters such as travel and transport. For example, PARSOL is already in discussion with TfL to consider how they may adopt the product. Registered users may view documents, submit comments and track progress. PARSOL has formally requested additional funding to provide public access, extend the system to national level and widen the types of document that are available for consultation.

11. SUPPORTING NEW WAYS OF WORKING Active policy and practice enabling council members and staff to work from home or away from the office base. Shared Service / National Priority: ODPM National Strategy	ICT support and documented policy for home/remote working (teleworking) for council members and staff (R21) .	PARSOL Best Practice Review identifies examples of excellent service delivery from councils across England that are relevant to all councils and all service areas. Although specifically addressing planning, environmental health, trading standard and building control, the defined best practice can easily be converted and applied to other service areas. PARSOL Research on Mobile Technologies and Knowledge Management identify how these technologies can be used to change ways of working, improve efficiency and improve service delivery.
	Access to home/remote working facilities to all council members and staff that satisfy the requirements set by the Council's published home/remote working policy (R22) .	PARSOL Research on Mobile Technologies identifies methods and best practice around onsite working for those engaged in planning and regulatory services. This includes detailed review of various types of technology and discussed the activities where these can bring real benefit.

12. ACCESSIBILITY OF SERVICES All council services are supported outside of standard working hours via the Internet or telephone contact centres. Shared Service / National Priority: ODPM National Strategy Freedom of Information	Self-service or medicated access to all council services outside standard working hours via the Internet or telephone contact centres (i.e. available for extended hours outside of 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) (R23) .	PARSOL Expert Systems can provide the citizen with a definitive answer regarding the need for planning applications. This service can be available over the Internet 24x7 or via a Call Centre without the need for expert operational staff. This question is one of the most asked of councils and making the answer available online in this manner can greatly contribute to public level of self-service. PARSOL Business Self-Assessment and PARSOL Regulatory Information can also be provided 24x7 to better serve the business community.
	Adoption of ISO 15489 methodology for Electronic Document Records Management (EDRM) and identification of areas where current records management policies, procedures and systems need improvement to meet the requirements of Freedom of Information (FOI) and Data Protection legislation (see www.pro.gov.uk/about/foi/map-local.rtf ) (G19) .	PARSOL Toolkits and Guidance Notes include advice and guidance on the electronic capture of map-based information (GIS) and capturing planning related information (EDM). PARSOL Toolkits describing the implementation of PARSOL Enforcement systems provide advice on the publication of potentially sensitive data on the web.
	Compliance with Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF), including the Government Metadata Standard (e-GMS) (G21) .	PARSOL XML Schemas have been developed in accordance with appropriate standards. PARSOL Toolkits describe processes around usage of XML for enable interoperability.

14. MAKING IT EASY FOR CITIZENS TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE COUNCIL Systems are in place to ensure effective customer relationship management. Shared Service / National Priority: ODPM National Strategy	Systems in place to ensure effective and consistent customer relationship management across access channels and to provide a 'first time fix' for citizen and business enquiries, i.e. using a common database, which holds customer's records, to deliver channels, and enabling joined-up and automated service delivery (R27) .	PARSOL Experts Systems can be used within the context of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and can provide a high level of 'first time fix' to the specific questions about the need for planning permission or building regulation consent.
	All e-mail and web form acknowledgements to include unique reference number allocated to allow tracking of enquiry and service response (R28) .	PARSOL Online Licensing systems can be used for the submission and processing of a wide range of licence application types. The system assigns a unique reference number enabling the tracking of applications online.
	100% of e-mail enquiries from the public responded to within one working day with documented corporate performance standards for both e-mail acknowledgments and service replies (R29) .	PARSOL Expert Systems can significantly reduce the level of telephone and e-mail contacts made by the public through providing online answers without the need to e-mail or telephone the council.

14. MAKING IT EASY FOR CITIZENS TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE COUNCIL (continued)	Integration of customer relationship management systems with back office activity through use of enabling technology such as Workflow to create complete automation of business process management (G24) .	PARSOL Expert Systems and PARSOL Exchange can be used as components of an integrated system that e-enables the entire business process from the initial enquiry on the need for permission, through the submission of the application to the consultation process required to deliver the decision back to the citizen. PARSOL Exchange contains an enhanced LGOL.net engine that provides additional workflow functionality which significantly enhances the speed and level of automation that can be achieved in the consultation process.

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