New Digital Mapping Tool for Citizens Introduced

Sefton Council, with the support of Arvato, has launched a new interactive mapping tool to help residents independently access a range of council information online.

The intuitive technology, by software developer Cadcorp, overlays a range of data including property and electoral figures from across the region on to a map hosted on the authority’s website. This enables local residents to find information at the click of a button, enabling self-service to check the progress of planning and building applications and finding listed buildings, heritage sites and polling boundaries.

A version of the software will also be launched for Sefton Council employees to provide them with a comprehensive archive of data in one place. This will reduce the time spent manually searching and collating information from different departments and enabling staff to gain a clearer view of residents through overlaying the data to identify trends.

Sefton Council worked with Arvato to assess the needs of its residents and implemented the new, cutting-edge service.

Jane Taylor, geographic information system manager at Arvato, commented: “By enabling residents to self-serve, the new system will reduce the need to contact Sefton Council over the phone, or in person, for simple information requests, creating efficiencies and giving staff more time to handle complex citizen enquiries.”

“We’ve already introduced a number of digital innovations that have made a significant difference for the authority, and we expect the new mapping service to help reduce the administrative burden further. This project also supports the Council’s objective of being “One Council”, changing its service delivery model to encourage self-service by council employees and channel shift in communicating with the public.”

Martin McGarry, MD of Cadcorp commented “A strength of the Cadcorp SIS product family is in its ability to read different spatial data formats directly and without translation. This feature brings real practical benefits as Sefton’s experience shows. Combined with modern web GIS technology, this is helping local authorities like Sefton build information systems where self-service becomes the norm.”

Arvato is currently engaged in a 10-year partnership with Sefton Council to provide a wide range of services including revenues and benefits, payroll, pensions, transactional human resources, accounts payable, ICT and customer services.

www.cadcorp.com

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