Brands to advise Govt on digital services
Brands including Facebook, Marks & Spencer and Everything Everywhere are to advise the government on transforming its public services to become “digital by default”.
A group of digital experts from brands, industry and academia will form the government’s 12-strong Digital Advisory Board.
The board will meet twice a year to offer recommendations to ensure government online services are easy to access and user friendly.
It will be chaired by the UK’s “digital champion” Martha Lane Fox (pictured), who in 2010 compiled a report finding billions of pounds could be saved by increasing the number and quality of government services available digitally.
Other board members include Marks & Spencer’s executive director of multi-channel Laura Wade-Gery; Facebook’s director of policy in Europe Richard Allan; Locog’s head of new media Alex Balfour and Lloyds Banking Group’s digital banking director Ashley Machin.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude says: “We are making public service delivery ‘digital by default’ and creating a single place online for government information [new website Gov.co.uk].
“This revolutionary approach in the way government interacts with citizens will offer huge gains in efficiency and cost-effectiveness to the tax payer.”
Martha Lane Fox, who earlier this week launched a brand-backed initiative dubbed Go ON UK to get everyone in the UK online, says the Digital Advisory Board will “challenge government” to deliver better services.
“[It is] the next step on the journey to achieving digital by default services and information provision across government,” she adds.
