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Online Submissions Made EasyOnline Planning Submissions System for County Councils

Consulting | Software Solutions | IT Infrastructure

Planning and public consultations are an administrative pain point suffered by every County Council in Ireland. Ergo Software Solutions has developed an affordable, easy-to-use solution that can be rolled out in weeks.

Web sites are widely used by County Councils as an online entry-point for citizen interaction, helping them achieve their public service obligations. When the right solutions are skilfully deployed on a site, they can significantly improve public transactions, taking paperwork out of processes and increasing efficiencies to the benefit of citizen and Council.

Ergo Software Solutions has developed an Online Submission System that solves challenges faced by every Council around forward planning and strategic development.

When plans and consultation documents are uploaded to Council web sites, citizens are invited to review and submit a response as part of the public consultation process. Submissions are usually in the form of written letters or via

email. The number of responses can range from a handful to thousands of documents, depending on the project and the level of public interest.

The bulk of correspondence is usually delivered close to deadline, increasing the risk of bottlenecks and putting pressure on administrators. Email boxes can fill up and submissions bounce back. Written submissions run the risk of being misplaced or even lost.

The Online Submission System from Ergo is a proven solution that addresses all these problems and brings new benefits to enhance the planning and consultation process. Cork County Council is already using the system and seeing tangible benefits from a web-based application.

1st Floor, Block T, East Point Business Park, Dublin 3.Locall: 1850 374673 F: (353) 1 8843201 E: info@ergogroup.ie www.ergogroup.ieErgoServices ltd. trading as Ergo, Registered in Ireland No. 197876.

System Benefi ts

The Ergo Online Submission System benefi ts both citizen and County Council. An end-to-end application, it streamlines a time consuming process, from consultation to fi nal reports. Benefi ts include:

• Councils can create new submission forms in minutes using customisable templates, adding and removing fi elds quickly and easily

• The interface is familiar and intuitive to use and integrates with other offi ce software

• Deadlines and submissions are easy to manage with an automated application that removes paperwork and takes the strain off email systems

• Submissions are easily searched and retrieved

• Users can be assigned security roles depending on level of responsibility

• Reports can be exported to spreadsheets giving Councils a better view of the consultation process

How It Works

On the Council web site, members of the public click on the submissions panel where a drop-down menu will help them identify the consultation process that they want to address. They summarise their submission in a text box and attach up to fi ve documents, including maps and photographs, to a maximum of 20MB. The form fi lling process is made easier with fl oating help boxes that explain what’s required.

At the backend, the Council’s Planning Policy Unit runs the self-service solution. For each consultation they choose fi elds from a master list, allowing them to customise the public facing form. Before uploading it to the web site, each form is given a start and end date, ensuring the consultation period is adhered to.

After submitting the form and documents electronically, citizens receive an email confi rmation from the Council with a unique reference number for subsequent correspondence. Hard copy submissions can still be made and are entered into the system by Council staff. Acknowledgement letters can also be generated and sent to the submitter.

When the deadline has passed, the system automatically ensures that no more submissions are made, improving the control of the consultation process. All forms and documents are automatically fed though to the planning unit where they are collated and updated.

User roles are managed to ensure only relevant members of the Planning Policy Unit have access to submissions. Extra fi elds, including a summary text box, let authorised staff adapt or paraphrase submissions while retaining original content. At the end of the process, submissions are locked to prevent further alterations.

Submissions are subsequently accessed via a document library, searched and retrieved using a number of criteria, including name and unique reference number. Content can be used to generate reports, exported to spreadsheets or inserted in documents.

For More Information ContactErgo1st Floor, Block TEast Point Business ParkDublin 3

Tel: +353 (0)1 8843200www.ergogroup.ieinfo@ergogroup.ie