The document summarizes research on applying information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of UK local government planning systems. It describes a study of five local authorities that examined how ICT is used in planning departments and identified opportunities to better utilize technology. The research developed a framework to evaluate internal communication and benchmark ICT usage. It ultimately produced a socio-technological planning system model to enhance workforce performance through an appropriate mix of communication, people, processes and knowledge.

1. 4th Annual Information Studies Symposium 2011
Department of Information and Communications
Manchester Metropolitan University
The application of information and communication
technologies in the UK Local Government planning
system to deliver effective and efficient services.

2. Background
The UK Local Authorities:
 are directly accountable and responsible to plan the
environment
of their region.
 basically implement local plans and try to make them workable
for sustainable development.
 spend huge budget to ensure that planning system delivers
realistic advantages for the local communities.
 are facing striking expenditure cuts these days and look for
new ways to deliver planning services both efficiently and
effectively.

3. Introduction
 The Local Government planning teams combined with leading
edge technology try to perform excellence and ensure best
planning practices for regional sustainable development.
 Information and Communication Technologies are considered
essential to deliver effective and efficient services in the UK
Local Government.
 The value for cost effectiveness, economical viability, time
efficiency and performance improvements are therefore
considered with prominence in the UK Local Government
planning system.

4. ICT in Planning System
 The UK Local Government’ vision about ICT is to reduce the
cost of service delivery and to provide assistance to build a
bridge between people and authorities for sustainable
development.
 Data analysis from the field study suggests that the Local
Authorities are placing great emphasis on using ICTs in
planning to enable electronic service delivery.
 Planning policy makers emphasize on economic competitiveness
to integrate a variety of innovative technologies for effective and
efficient planning service delivery.

5. Research Methodology
 The study is conducted in five planning authorities in the South
East Midlands region (Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton
Keynes, Northampton and Luton Borough Council).
 The research framework is developed on the basis of collected
data from the participating Local Authorities’ planning
departments through interviews, questionnaires, forums, case
studies and observations.
 The research planning framework has been modified based
on regular interviews and observations sessions to explore
promising challenges about the role of ICT in delivering effective
and efficient planning services in the Local Government.

6. The Research Outcome
The outcome of this study produces result at two stages:
 At first stage this study produces a detailed set of planning
existing framework that provides a comprehensive analysis of
data for internal communication channels in each participating
planning department.
 At second stage this study produces a comparison and
benchmarking analysis to let the participating authorities to see
how they are responding and performing in relation to their
regional counterparts.

7. Data Analysis and Benchmarking
Field Study, Phase-I (June 2009 – December 2009)
This preliminary research survey was carried out in the
participating Local Authorities’ Planning Departments.
Questionnaires are sent to the staff members of all participating
authorities to collect data for data analysis.
The aim of data analysis is to identify basic planning process
issues and the appropriate use of ICTs in order to evaluate the
delivery of excellent planning services.
It is subjective demand that the effective and efficient use of
Information and Communication Technologies in planning
system needs to be evaluated.

8. Data Analysis and Benchmarking
Field Study - I
The key elements for an effective internal communication

9. The General Planning Permission Process Model
in the UK Local Government

10. Data Analysis and Benchmarking
Field Study, Phase-II (March 2010-December 2010)
This research field study basically investigates the appropriate
mix of Communication, People, Processes and Knowledge in
planning.
The research framework is developed on the basis of collected
data through interviews, questionnaire, online forums and
observations during this phase of research work.
These field results are helpful in designing and developing the
planning framework model as well as to verify and test it.
The field study provides the evidence base for hybrid system to
help in understanding the socio-technological system and setting
up the planning policies for further improvements.

11. Applications of ICTs for Effective and Efficient Planning Services

12. Data Analysis and Benchmarking
Field Study, Phase-III (January 2011-April 2011)
This survey provides sufficient data to investigate the need for
socio-technological planning system and online planning
permission process for better use of technologies.
It is observed during this survey that the Local Authorities are
not making the best out of the technological investment made
over the last 10 years as part of the e-government agenda in UK.
It is therefore obvious that a change for a better, well customised
and fully integrated planning system is fundamental.
The data analysis and benchmarking among participating
authorities evaluated the best planning practices adoption and
promotion for continuous performance improvement.

13. PKOT-MODEL
(Socio-Technological System for better planning workforce Performance)

14. Research Limitations
There are some limitations to conduct this study:
 It is time consuming to access the Councils’ staff for relevant
data collection.
 It is challenging to analyse the data from five Local Councils.
 It is tricky from the collected facts to benchmark and judge the
considerable improvement in the planning performance.
To overcome these limitations a literature review and grounded
theory has provided high quality data to support the role of ICT in
planning for effective and efficient service delivery.

15. Literature Review
The Local Authorities have the capability to co-ordinate many independent functions in
accordance with the needs and demands of the public (Chandler, 2001).
This is a fact that the State Government has time and again placed pressure to the Local
Authorities to enhance the proportion of public services delivered electronically
(Raynsford and Beecham, 2002).
This is especially true for the implementation of ICT in the planning system, where
cross-discipline project teams are essential to a robust solution (FSN, 2007).
One of the most frightening statistics in public sector ICT is to look at the number of
failed ICT projects. Over 70 per cent, according to some sources, of ICT projects fail
(Rainey, 2007).
ICTs are used to respond to citizens’ needs quicker, to decentralise public
administration and to enhance the Local Governments’ ability to oversee key projects
(Prybutok et al, 2008).
Planning professionals are coming under increasing pressure as cuts to their budgets are
impacting at a time management, which is increasing demand for ICT better services in
order to take cost out of other parts of the organisation (SOCITM, 2010).

16. Conclusion
The primary aim of this research study is to investigate the role of
technologies and their applications in delivering effective and
efficient planning services.
The socio-technological planning system requirements has become a
more overwhelming and complex task as the Local Authority
planning teams collide with the ICTs for sustainability these days.
The survey results demonstrate that it is sensible to carry out further
research to identify and resolve the key barrier to the adoption of the
appropriate ICTs use in planning system for efficient and effective
planning service delivery.

17. Thanks !!!
Any Question Please!
Nasrullah Khan Khilji
School of Computing and Technology
University of West London, TVU
Email: nas-khilji@hotmail.co.uk