Electronic Document and Records Management for Planning

The Society for IT Managers (Socitm) has produced a briefing document explaining how LPAs can improve their service and qualify for PDG support by implementing modern electronic document and records management systems (EDRMS).

Future awards of the Planning Delivery Grant are dependent on LPAs offering end-to-end electronic processing of planning applications. As well as generating cost savings and efficiency gains for the LPA, end-to-end electronic processing enables citizens to comment on applications online and is preferred by many applicants, especially professional architects and developers.

However, many LPAs cannot implement end-to-end electronic processing because their current systems do not incorporate a modern EDRMS. Introducing a modern EDRMS and re-engineering business processes around it are essential pre-requisites to electronic processing and the benefits it brings.

The briefing, written by experts from Socitm Consulting in association with the Planning Portal, is aimed at directors and senior managers in Planning, Development Control and Corporate ICT departments. It covers the following topics:

• What is an EDRMS?
• Current drivers of the e-planning agenda
• Differences between the ‘legacy’ systems used by many LPAs and more modern alternatives which can integrate with EDRMS to enable end-to-end electronic processing
• Options available to LPAs, in terms of procuring new systems, updating existing systems or linking to ‘corporate’ EDRMS systems used in other departments of the authority
• EDRMS features required for e-planning
• Conversion of the planning archive
• Benefits of modern EDRMS for planning
• Example business case
• Best practice in procurement
• How to move forward – in particular, the importance of engaging with corporate ICT and undertaking a business process review
• Case studies

Download the 'Socitm Consulting briefing on EDRMS for planning and development control' here (PDF 168 Kb).