Online catalogue offers e-government 'one stop shop'

Local authorities will get 'one stop shop' access to more than 1,700 e-government products developed by the public sector through a new online catalogue.

The 1700 products - ranging from a full content management system to toolkits for implementing customer relationship management, e-procurement and smart card systems - have been developed as part of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's 22 'National Projects' which aim to help local authorities deliver e-government.

Roland Mezulis, chief e-government strategist at West Sussex County Council and project lead for the catalogue's development, said most of the National Projects come to an end at the end of March and the government was keen not to lose lessons learned.

"We are providing a means of making sure these products remain available. We want to provide a 'one stop shop,'" he said. The catalogue will formally launch on 31 March.

The catalogue also allows registered users to rate and review products and users will be able to search for products that help with specific government initiatives such as Priority Outcomes or the Gershon Efficiency Review targets.

Mezulis said future plans for the catalogue include adding more products from other e-government initiatives and the ability to find individuals with expertise in particular product areas.