As an expected result of the pandemic, there has been a dramatic increase in demand for digitised government services. UK Government has accelerated the public services digitalisation to provide continuous support and information.
In June 2021, Declaration on Government Reform was announced to build back better from the pandemic. Embracing digital technology and implementing digital transformation was fully backed by senior government by setting clear targets for departments.
Key Challenges
Fast forward six months, we have been seeing a steady but slow shift into digitalisation of citizen services. According to a recent report – Challenges in Implementing Digital Change – published by House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, shortfall of digital skills and capability among the senior leaders are the biggest long-term barriers for successful digital change. Senior non-specialist leaders need to understand the scope of complex, large-scale programmes to transform ways of working and drive real modernisation of legacy systems.
According to the report, the government spends £20 billion each year on digital transformation projects across departments and the NHS. But the barriers like digital skills and limited time spent on such major digital change programmes are causing delays in delivery and budget overruns. These pitfalls cost citizens and taxpayers in the long run.
Recommendations for a Successful Digital Transformation
Public Accounts Committee recommends that the Cabinet Office should develop a robust and certifiable digital business change education process. They also recommend to produce a pipeline of prioritised legacy systems with milestones for action reflecting a transformational redesign strategy with appropriate accountabilities.
Government organisations face a variety of challenges when taking steps to digitally transform their services. Initial heavy lifting of data transformation and change management within organisation are the key pitfalls that leadership teams need to address carefully when taking the steps into mobilisation. We support leadership teams through these key stages and implement a sustainable transformation programme within the organisation.
Bridging the Gap Between Technology and People
At CloudSource, we aim to bridge the gap between technology and people to ensure UK public services meet today’s expectations. Aligned with the report findings, we have also seen the necessity and benefit of a transformation partner’s presence in many digital transformation programmes. CloudSource have successfully partnered with many public sector organisations where our well-versed blueprint for digitally transforming organisations has been repeatedly proven to expedite their transformation goals, enabled by best-in-class Microsoft technology.
If you want to learn more about digital transformation for government services and how we can support you through your digital transformation journey to provide seamless citizen and stakeholder experiences, please reach out to us.
Email: ozlem.kilavuz@cloudsource.uk.com
Teams. +44 (0)1156 782 043