How can government deal with today’s pressing problems while simultaneously devising long-term strategies for sustainable service delivery?
Whether that’s even possible against a backdrop of tricky fiscal circumstances and stretched services is a hot topic at both public sector organisations and private sector transformation providers.
For a recent report, UK Public Sector Must Accelerate Digital Transformation To Achieve Digital Maturity, KPMG and Forrester joined forces to ask senior UK central government decision-makers about digital’s role in service delivery.
The study painted a realistic picture of how things stand today, but also offered an optimistic view about the chances of long-term projects succeeding:
Just 17% of decision-makers consider their digital transformation completely successful. However, 74% are prioritising the development of new or better digital products and services 52% will increase budgets to do this, and 63% intend to invest in third-party services to accelerate transformation.
Back in Spring 2024, Government Transformation Magazine hosted a webinar to discuss organisations’ determination to speed up the transformation of service delivery. Six months on, we wanted to take a closer look at how transformation teams can make that happen when they need to keep one eye on solving immediate problems, and the other on a future
yet to be written.
For this article, we sought the views of leading digital transformation experts at KPMG, Cabinet Office, Department for Business and Trade (DBT), and Net Zero Strategy Directorate (within the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero). Their verdict? A twin-track approach to service delivery, acting fast but thinking long term, is achievable - but it will take a great deal of expertise, effort and collaboration to succeed.
Webb added: “Otherwise you end up delivering project after project rather than an actual end-to-end transformation. Programmes will need to be multi-year, if we really do want to tackle the legacy debt that’s at the heart of of government.”
She suggests adopting a “twin-track” approach government-wide is the best way to align day-to-day delivery and long-term vision: “Talk to people who run teams and the pain points that occupy most of their time are issues such as not knowing when hospitals will have beds available, or prisons will have enough spaces. That business-as-usual noise is distracting, but delivery teams do need to see the bigger picture to succeed.
“I think leaders have a vision, an eye on where they want to be. But if short-term problems keep getting in the way, and return a few weeks after they seem to have been solved, efforts to work towards a longer-term end point will always be frustrated.”
Miranda Savage, Chief Digital Officer - Regulatory Services Portfolio, Digital Data and Technology, Department for Business and Trade, agrees a more strategic approach to short- and long-term delivery would increase the chances of successful transformation.
Savage also offers a view of how this might happen: “Keeping an eye on both aspects is key: working within today’s constraints, but also being mindful of how things might change.
“Adjusting our governance so we fund products and services throughout the lifecycle, based on our learnings about user needs and how to meet them, would make a really big difference - rather than relying on funding-based product models. Reframing language would help, too: stop saying ‘digital projects’ and start talking about services that have a lifecycle. It might take the focus away from the perceived need to deliver ‘a thing’ quickly, then moving on to the next one.”
Her delivery team has a particular focus on the Office of the Public Guardian. This is a citizen-focused area of government which, says Morgan, enables a constant user feedback loop and ongoing improvements to the platform, where individuals can complete tasks such as applying for Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).
Morgan explains: “LPA is largely associated with being an aspect of end of life. But it’s a conversation we should probably have throughout our lives. We therefore need to make the service easy for all demographics to use, reassuring families as they discuss the issues and make an application. That’s a major reason why, now that the service is established, the next step is to make it fully digital. User research and feedback will remain critical in future.”
The directorate’s core function is to ensure government commitments to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 are on track; managing governance frameworks and aligning strategic financial planning with policy execution.
Placide explains: “Finding the balance between short- and long-term goals is a constant challenge. There are short-term priorities, such as hitting interim carbon reduction targets, which often require immediate actions that don’t always have long-term sustainability. The difficulty lies in ensuring quick wins don’t compromise broader strategic objectives, like building sustainable energy systems or encouraging industries to decarbonise.”
He shares an example rooted in government policy - the deadline for a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles - which has already evolved several times. “We can encourage rapid shifts in consumer behaviour, [raising awareness of] electric vehicles (EV). That’s good for reducing short-term emissions. But without long-term EV infrastructure planning and increased grid capacity the benefits may be short lived.”
An understandable focus on the detail of delivering short-term transformation is not the only barrier preventing organisations from looking further ahead.
KPMG’s Webb cites three other obstacles. “Funding is obviously an ongoing issue. Budget for transformation is available and a commitment to get things done is there. But the focus tends to be on prioritising projects, rather than an overall transformational agenda. The magnitude of an end-point vision is often missing.
“And that plays into the second issue: leadership. It’s common for heads of transformation to start with a clear vision, but if there’s an early bump in the road they can lose stakeholder buy-in. Agendas peter out for fear of failure. Which leads to the third barrier, resistance to organisational change and tech adoption. That often happens because there is too much focus on platforms, not people.”
Disillusionment can lead to people accepting the promise of more fulfilling roles elsewhere. This adds to a lack of relevant skills in government, with the KPMG/Forrester study noting almost half of decision-makers say required capabilities are hard to find in the public sector.
The report also reveals 23% of transformation leaders believe a risk-averse organisational culture is blocking change. Savage at DBT states: “My experience is that delivering technology-based change is all about winning hearts and minds. The people and process aspect is more complex than the technology. When we’ve treated a project as a people problem first and tech problem second we’ve had more success.”
Morgan at MoJ agrees: “When you’re talking to people who are not experienced in aspects of digital you must sell the service to them. Commitment to a good digital service requires collaboration. That has been one of our successes so far: everyone wants the same outcome.”
While bringing teams along on the journey is vital, so too is having access to the right technology to drive digital transformation. Placide at Net Zero Directorate says: “The KPMG/Forrester report emphasises the need for holistic transformation across departments. There’s a call to embed digital tools for efficiency, but also for transparency and accountability. In my area that’s crucial for tracking climate targets.
“Climate goals also require data-driven decision-making that seamlessly integrates across departments. Integrating real-time data from multiple sectors - from energy to land use - is a major barrier. If we can’t ensure data compatibility and standard reporting the digital transformation we need will slow down.”
Savage at DBT is also keen on integrating technology to supercharge transformation. “The more we invest in common platforms and processes, the more we will drive down technical feasibility and usability risk. Long-term technical sustainability of a solution must be balanced with the need to move quickly, addressing risks around whether it will be valuable for users while also fitting with the business processes that exist or could be put
in place.”
Morgan adds that democratisation of technology can be a game-changer. “It’s no longer for ‘detached elites’. Low-code as well as interest in AI and machine learning have made a big difference to technology’s adoption. It is now seen as a tool to support and deliver the user journey. That breaks down fear and any reluctance to use it.”
Webb at KPMG believes government can learn from past successful transformation projects to succeed going forward. “Gov.uk cut 100 government access points down to a single, user-friendly interface and represented huge operational efficiency as well as successful departmental integration.
“The aspiration to think big exists. But how can common data, recruitment, training and other aspects be built in a way that turns aspiration into action? The shared services agenda can help. If it maintains momentum that will be a massive leap forward.”
These are all tricky aspects of transformation to get right. For his part, Haston believes emerging technology such as AI might provide answers. “There’s clearly a desire to improve citizen services while being more cost-effective in using technology,” he comments. “It will be interesting how the need to do things faster but cheaper plays out. Generative AI has huge potential to help with those dual objectives.”
Transformation teams must use AI with caution, he adds: “People want fast results from AI, but if you’re not careful it can be a sticking plaster that doesn’t fix underlying problems. I see it more as a step-change in delivery, making sure resource isn’t simply diverted from long-term strategy to try to add immediate value.”
Ultimately, though, the experts agree that the ability of the people behind transformation to harness the technology, and to collaborate in mutually beneficial ways, will make change more sustainable.
DBS’s Savage already sees this happening. “There is a blurring of lines, a bleed across departments,” she observes. “It isn’t a case of X and Y look after distinct areas, and never the twain shall meet. That’s especially true in my role for a policy area like export requirements. We work across departments to design services with business at their heart.
It’s a challenge when teams have competing incentives, but it’s worth the effort.” MoJ’s Morgan adds: “I think progress is being made [across government] in terms of a model of people, process, technology. But the key aspect really is the people. We are a very people-driven service so the way we operate should reflect that. User research and feedback gives us so much insight into how they react to the technology and how they
want to use it. It’s a good way to understand how to continually develop the platform as a digital service.”
Alongside internal and interdepartmental collaboration, partnerships with external vendors will be crucial. Webb at KPMG says: “Private sector has an opportunity to help lay the fundamental foundations of transformation that the civil service doesn’t necessarily have the resource or expertise for. That includes aspects of leadership and vision, advising on culture and people-centred aspects, and of course implementing the right technology.”
Organisations are keen to find the right blend between internal and external teams. “It works better when the core team is made up of civil servants, so there is a sense of ownership. You can blend in private sector skills when they’re needed,” says Savage.
“Adding genuine specialisms to blended teams that aren’t civil service bread and butter, and building internal team capabilities so we have the skills to scale, are key areas where vendors can help.”
Placide at Net Zero Directorate identifies specific value in supplier relationships that could be beneficial if implemented across government: “Private sector has a critical role to play in scaling innovation to create sustainable systems for service delivery. For example, collaborations with energy companies on smart grid technology could be beneficial in meeting long-term carbon targets.”
There’s much to do, concludes Webb. “For me, a change in mindset would be a roadmap for the civil service that puts it on, say, a 10- or 20-year transformation programme with checkpoints along the way. We aren’t there yet but aspiration to do something fundamentally different is clear across government, and that’s a great place to start.”