The following are some 'frequently asked questions' which may help you to understand more about the origins and aims of Durham Connects. If you'd like to know more or want to ask us an alternative question please
contact us, we'll be happy to help wherever possible.
Why was the County Durham e-Government Partnership (CDeGP) created?
The CDeGP was created to address the Government's eGovernment Modernisation Agenda and is committed to improving access to services within County Durham by joining up to deliver real benefits to the people of County Durham.
What is Durham Connects?
The CDeGP set up the Durham Connects identity to give you one easy to remember name that will connect you to all local council services.
Why have we created Durham Connects?
County Durham is a shire county with two tiers of local government, which is made up of seven district councils and one borough council covering local administrative areas, and the County Council which covers the whole area. For example, the borough and district councils are responsible for a wide range of services, including council housing and benefits, rubbish collection and environmental health, local planning and leisure services, whereas the county council is responsible for issues such as schools, social services, libraries, trading standards, adult education, road and street lighting and the registration of births, death and marriage... With Durham Connects you don't have to know who does what.
What is eGovernment?
eGovernment is about transforming the way the way in which local services are provided for everyone. See the
Local e-Gov website for more information.
What does eGovernment mean to you?
eGovernment does not mean you will have to use the Internet, it is about using information and communication technologies (ICT) to deliver a cost effective service. Consultation has identified that the majority of people in County Durham still want to contact Councils by telephone, eGovernment means that when you call the Council, staff will have access to up to date, consistent and reliable information to answer your call promptly. eGovernment also means that as more and more people have access to the Internet, they can use the 'self-service' option via the world wide web, which helps reduce council costs and gives 24 hour access to council information.
How does the Durham Connects search engine work?
Our system uses a classification list to automatically categorise web page content. This helps us to match the language used by government services, to the words entered into the search by citizens of County Durham.
In simple terms, our search engine looks at the word you type into the search box and associates it with a ‘topic’ from a list know as ‘LAWS’. It then looks at web pages on the Durham Connects partner websites and judges them on how well their content matches these topics. Finally the search engine creates list of pages which are relevant to your search.
For further information on understanding search results please see our help section. The help section also contains a short glossary of terms relevant to searching.
Can I use the Durham Connects logo?
The Durham Connects logo is available for use on publicity material produced by members of the CDeGP, and to other organisations who request permission. A small 'web-ready' version of the logo is available on our page about
linking to the Durham Connects website. However, if you require an alternative version, (for example, for printed publicity material such as posters, flyers etc.) please
contact us so that we can discuss your requirements. We will be happy to provide alternative files in a variety of resolutions, sizes and colour schemes, within our logo usage guidelines. In all cases, please ensure you have read our
copyright information and details about
linking to the Durham Connects website.
