EU Survey Shows Britains Online Services Are Improving

Capgemini, one of the world leaders in consulting, technology and outsourcing services, announced today the findings of its seventh annual eGovernment benchmark study,which it conducted on behalf of the European Commission. The Survey which looks at European online services has ranked the UK fifth in Europe, up from sixth last year, finding that 89 per cent of basic public services in the UK are fully available online.

The UK scored 90 per cent in online sophistication, suggesting the country has moved beyond purely transactional sites to more proactive targeted services. The survey also found little gap in the level of sophistication between services for citizens and those for business. Indeed, at 20 per cent, the UK scored about the EU average for user-centric behaviour.

Graham Colclough, vice president of the global public sector for Capgemini, said:
“Although the results reveal strong evidence of businesses, in particular, being
well served by online service; and governments being well advanced in services that bring them revenues; the risk remains of complacency in serving the citizen. This ultimately must remain the focus for all governments in order to build trust with their citizens. European governments must stop a gap opening up between the public and the commercial online worlds, and seek to deliver a new ‘Gov 2.0’ experience; one that attracts and fulfills citizen needs efficiently, consistently, inclusively, and economically – not a simple task I admit!.”

The UK's national portals DirectGov and Business Link were praised as best practice, helping the country earn a 90 per cent scoring against an EU average of 75 per cent.

The UK also got top marks for its online services for libraries, job searching, education enrolment, building permission and health care. It scored 90 per cent for social services provisions online, but just 60 per cent for statistical data and personal documents, such as passports.

Austria is the top country, with marks of 100 per cent for all the 20 services measured.