Current hot topics, such as partnership working, collaboration, localism, transparency and the ‘Big Society’ (however ill-defined), all imply information sharing. Little wonder that CIOs are thinking about data interchange standards, security and authentication, and secure channels such as the public service network. However, some things are much
more important than the technology.

We have the skills and the tools to help you achieve a website that delivers for your council - that is a website that gives real value in terms of the services it delivers to your customers and the savings it makes for the council. We cover all that is needed, summarised below:

For a step by step guide, click on the diagram to see more detail

Creating an effective website for your council is not easy - and certainly isn't something you can leave to the IT service, or to corporate communications section to deliver for you. Creating a website that delivers real value to the organisation, and real savings in cost takes a corporate effort and requires the following essential elements:

In an effort to make “Learning” more focused on the specific needs of our membership, we have reviewed our course offerings and launched a completely new programme for the next 12 months. The new programme offers a wider range of course, at more locations, and with more detail provided on each, to help you judge better who to nominate for the course, and the likely benefits to be achieved from it.

Regular IT Health Checks and penetration testing are necessary to protect your network, website and individual devices against external and internal threats. Compliance and good governance aside, however, penetration testing can often come up with surprising results. Socitm Consulting's IT security partners, Encription Ltd, have been performing â?~top of the treeâ?T quality penetration testing for several years, and have uncovered some alarming cases.

Managing and assuring information is becoming an increasingly critical part of business continuity. Does the Council of the Future focus pur planning not so much on the protection of the physical asset as the protection of the information asset?

Making the right information available in the right format at the right time to the right people inside and outside the organisation is vital to efficiency. Information Management combines many difficult challenges, but getting it right brings huge benefits.

Strategically, information management needs to be closely bound with your business and ICT strategy. Neither can work effectively without the other. It is also vitally concerned with information quality, information security and business continuity – both for the organisation and for its customers and partners. Historically, organisations have struggled to meet the need for accurate and well-structured information.