In June of last year, the UK government laid out its 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data, emphasising ‘transforming for a digital future’. How will this impact the public sector?
In recent years, the public sector landscape has become more challenging with the COVID-19 pandemic recovery, leadership changes, and the economic impact of the war in Ukraine.
Simultaneously, we are moving on from the vast recruitment into the public sector during the pandemic. While previous claims of slashing 90,000 service jobs have dissipated, tightening economic conditions will inevitably impact how digital companies engage with the public sector.
This blanket policy has had a significant impact on the public sector’s ability to recruit digital skills. Despite this, the public sector remains committed to the vast potential that digital and data transformation can bring.
So, what exactly can governmental partnerships do to facilitate transformation, deliver success, and bolster public sector innovation?
Digital makes for a seamless and easy experience
In the foreword to the ‘Transforming for a digital future’ policy paper, Heather Wheeler MP said, “When people order their groceries, book a holiday or check their bank accounts, they expect and receive a seamless and easy experience. The same should be true of government services.”
To make this vision a reality, partnerships will be instrumental in driving a unified government digital identity and enhanced cross-departmental data sharing. Especially when the public expects a level of fiscal responsibility that limits the amount of funding the government can pour into research, development, and innovation.
When this is considered alongside the tech skills shortage across the public and private sectors and the fact that complex projects can grow, at scale, very quickly, it is unsurprising the public sector will increasingly turn towards external partners to help meet their technology objectives.
The benefits of partnerships such as coaching, mentoring, and knowledge transfer, alongside complementary resources, will inevitably help supplement demand and spur innovation.
Public sector procurements and digitalisation
Previously, public sector procurements have centred on meeting exact objectives and needs. Moving forward, we should expect more collaboration, with partner relationships focused on joint planning and increased flexibility and transparency.
By tapping into the innovation and expertise available within the private tech sector, the government gains access to cutting-edge technologies and innovation from companies pouring vast funding into the research and development of specific solutions, whether their applications are broad and far-reaching or more niche and targeted.
In partnering with these organisations, the public saves money on research and development while connecting the government with the brightest minds of the private sector to solve social issues.
Driving efficiencies through digitalisation, automation, or upskilling will lead to more sensible, compact spending of government budgets.
As a result, people on the front line, for example, housing officers, can spend less time sifting through paperwork and inefficient processes and more time in communities with those that are most vulnerable and require public services.
Joining up experiences through data platforms
The role that data will play in the successful implementation of the government’s technology goals is fundamental. Paul Willmott, Executive Chair for the Central Digital and Data Office, said, “It’s only possible to make effective decisions, meet customer needs and respond to new challenges and opportunities when you have modern technology, [and] real-time access to high-quality data”.
Citizens interact with the GOV.UK website a staggering 12 million times per week. In our new digital-first world, the simplification of government services online and the removal of data silos will have an enormous impact on the ability of citizens to reach the right public services at the right time.
The government’s 2022 to 2025 roadmap for digital and data sets out various goals specifically related to the effective utilisation of data, including:
- One Login for the government
- Better Data to Power Decision Making
- A System that Unlocks Digital Transformation
The public sector has tens of millions of citizens from a rich diversity of different backgrounds. As a result, any digital transformation must, at its core, provide an accessible platform that helps citizens achieve easily access the services they need.
Public cloud platforms offer unprecedented opportunities for the public sector to utilise data effectively, as has been seen across sectors such as retail and hospitality.
Not only can these platforms facilitate the connection of data siloes across various departments, but they also allow them to utilise data in making better-informed decisions and automating unnecessary steps that hinder access to services for citizens.
More importantly, however, the cloud enables the public sector to take a scalable and agile approach to IT infrastructure. The public sector is a complex web of departments, organisations, groups, and governments, each with its own requirements for data usage.
The flexibility offered by the public cloud means that different areas of the sector can scale data platforms in a way that facilitates their organisational goals while still benefiting from useful data insights.
The example of the ‘One Login’ system
The ‘One Login’ system, in theory, will increase accessibility for millions of citizens. However, the ambition will require connecting dozens of departmental systems, which may consist of various unique tech infrastructures.
To successfully approach a digital transformation of this size will require significant planning and a deep understanding of how to deliver frictionless citizen interactions. It is projects such as these where partnerships can provide crucial expertise, technological advancement and collaborative data-driven decision-making.
Improved data sharing will unlock the enormous potential to enhance decision-making internally
Once departmental systems are connected, improved data sharing will unlock the enormous potential to enhance decision-making internally, help stakeholders act on cross-departmental insights, and increase accessibility to public services digitally.
Furthermore, if completed successfully, it can be replicated across departments, devolved governments, councils and beyond in an efficient, cost-effective way that truly benefits citizens nationwide.
Digital knowledge transfer for the public good
The public sector makes an enormous effort to provide simple and effective digital services. However, as the skill gap widens and the workforce faces increasing strain, the government must remain focused on its commitment to digital transformation.
Partnerships with digital companies and consultants will help bolster efforts within the public sector to prioritise the projects that make the most difference to stakeholders, both internally and externally.
The incremental gains accrued because of those improvements, whether through, for example, upskilled tech teams, cost savings as a result of automation, or time freed up for front-line staff through simplified processes, can then be reinvested into even better citizen experiences.
Seeing the government set such ambitious goals for the years ahead is fantastic. However, lofty objectives will require coaching, mentoring, and knowledge transfer from expert partners.
Such advice will bolster the government’s push for better data usage to inform decisions, automate tasks and significantly reduce the government’s administrative burden.
This piece was written and provided by Steve Marshall, Engagement Director at Ensono.
