Dundee City Council is encouraging local people to make the most of its online services.
The council has joined forces with Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) by signing up to the Digital Participation Charter, which seeks to ensure that everyone has the access and basic skills to participate fully in the digital world.
It follows on from Dundee City Council’s Digital Strategy and its aim to “improve the day to day lives of our citizens by using digital technologies to enhance the inclusion, health and wellbeing of all in the city.”
Councillor Willie Sawers, depute policy and resources convenersaid: “Our vision is for the council to enhance our services through digital and to effectively promote the use of digital so that our citizens think digital first when requesting services, as it is quicker and more convenient to do so.
“Signing up to the Digital Participation Charter demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to reach their digital potential and access all the economic, health, social and cultural benefits that can bring.
“Over the past year we have seen a real uptake in citizens engaging with the council though digital.
“We launched Dundee Decides, which gave people in the city the ability to decide how £1million would spent across Dundee.
“This innovative and refreshing use of participatory budgeting proved a great success with over 11,000 Dundonians having their say on how money should be spent in their city.”
Last year My Dundee was launched. This new service enables customers to access an array of services online from requesting an online council tax bill to requesting a birth certificate.
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Executive Director of Corporate Services Greg Colgan said: “We are committed to improving our digital services so that people across Dundee can engage with the council in a simpler way.
“One of the keys ways we’ve done this is through MyDundee, where customers have online access to key council services. We want customers to think digital first when requesting services as it is quicker and easier to do so.”
David McNeill, SCVO’s Director of Digital said: “We’re delighted to welcome Dundee City Council to Scotland’s Digital Participation Charter. The commitment to building essential digital skills is important to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in every aspect of today’s society. Dundee City Council joins an active community of organisations across the public, private and third sectors who are taking action to support the 800,000 people in Scotland who need help to make the most of new technology and the internet.”
This council is working to ensure the workforce will hold the digital skills necessary to deliver digital services and will feel empowered to do so.
In addition, the council is developing a digital champions model within our workforce and are developing a suite of digital learning resources and an ongoing programme of bite sized digital learning sessions.
For citizens we are continuing to deliver successful digital project within communities and offer IT access within council offices and libraries.
To keep up to date with Dundee’s Digital programme follow @dundeecouncil on Twitter and @officialdundeecity on Facebook.
Details are on the council’s website www.dundeecity.gov.uk
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
