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About us

Government Connect is a DWP-led pan-government programme providing a government accredited secure network, GCSX, for all local authorities in England and Wales.

GCSX connects local authorities to virtually all central government departments, the NHS, police and accredited commercial suppliers, enabling:

• Secure sharing of sensitive personal data and data protectively marked ‘RESTRICTED’ by central government
• Secure access to central government applications and databases
• Secure email exchange with central government, police, the NHS, other local authorities and commercial suppliers
• Secure bulk file transfer between local and central government

The diagram below summarises the organisations securely connected to the Government Connect Secure Intranet (GSi).

Government Connect is centrally funded by the Departments for Communities and Local Government, Work and Pensions and Children, Schools and Families. On 1st April 2008, £33m of funding was made available to complete delivery of Government Connect and to support the service through to March 2011.

Government Connect is led by the Department for Work and Pensions and is managed by a board with representation from the Local Government Delivery Council / Central Government Delivery Council, Local Government CIO Council / Central Government CIO Council, Central Government funding Departments (DWP, DCLG, DCSF), the Local Government Association, the IDeA and the Society of IT Managers (SOCITM). Broader governance arrangements include the Cabinet Office, the Office of Government Commerce (OGC.buying solutions) and CESG (the government security accreditation body and part of GCHQ).

The programme is currently working with a number of government departments and local authorities to develop opportunities for improving information sharing, delivering efficiency savings and transforming service delivery via the secure GCSX network.

Government Connect is also working with a growing list of planned efficiency savings projects including, In and Out of Work, E-Transfers, Contact Point and Tell Us Once for change of circumstances to name a few …more info