The pandemic created huge pressures for local government, but we saw many rise to the challenge of dealing with the work-from-home situation, also innovating much faster than some other industries. While this was a tremendous challenge, now that hybrid-work solutions are in place, there are many additional benefits to be had, beyond responding the crisis.
One of the clearest advantages of this type of digital transformation at a local government level is the opening-up of recruitment from a more diverse pool of talent. With many public services going online and being managed remotely, it means local councils can recruit from other parts of the country. This plays well into the Government’s plans to ‘level up’ the UK’s “uneven geography”. The Chancellor’s Autumn Budget contained several measures targeted toward local government, with “levelling up” a particular focus supported by a £1.7bn fund across the UK. If successful, this should help provide a stronger foundation for growth and economic parity, ensuring greater equality of opportunities across the country.
There have already been successes at local government level, including Citrix customers and London councils, Royal Borough of Kingston and Borough of Sutton, who were already in a strong position to enable their 5,000 staff to work from home. For the 400,000 residents and the businesses of these boroughs, access to support didn’t deteriorate at all, and in fact, it got better, with a 24×7 COVID-19 response line being quickly set-up. As a result, the councils have achieved a better understanding of how they can use technology to be more flexible. These councils are a perfect example of the ability to recruit more widely, which is particularly important for a public service based in London, where it can be very expensive to live. Remote working has enabled the councils to drive forward their diversity and inclusion goals, as their talent pool is now much wider and more geographically diverse.
At Citrix we wanted to understand more about how local authorities in the UK are adapting and coping amid the current situation, and how they are approaching digital transformation. We recently asked over 400 local authorities (with 234 responding) to share details of their attitudes to digital transformation, via a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, and the findings reveal a divided state of affairs.
The role of ‘chief digital officer’ is yet to be broadly recognised across local government
A notable finding of our research is that 49% of UK local authorities currently employ a chief digital officer (CDO), digital director, or equivalent responsible for overseeing the organisation’s digital transformation. While this is a good sign of progress, it is increasingly important that the role of chief digital officer, or similar, is recognised at board level.
Whilst it is understandable that only half of authorities employ a CDO, because this is a highly skilled role and therefore expensive to recruit, there are many benefits to appointing one clear leader for digital projects. Without this role in place, digital transformation strategies could be hampered by a lack of strong senior leadership and buy-in at the c-suite. Furthermore, change management is a critical part of digital transformation, but with no chief digital officer to oversee things, it is questionable where this responsibility might lie. Who will communicate change internally, so that staff have a clear understanding of the transformation taking place and the impact it might have on them?
The benefits of digital services in local government aren’t fully understood or measured
Councils also appear undecided about the value of actively measuring employee engagement with digital services, be it through regular staff surveys or individual consultation. Almost half (47%) of councils are measuring currently, and a further 12% have plans to introduce the initiative within the next three to six months, but 38% have no process in place and no plans to do so.
Alongside this finding, 81% of local authorities say they do not measure employee productivity linked to IT or digital investment. Only 8% are doing so currently, with a further 8% planning to do so within the next three to six months. Ultimately, employees make an organisation, whether that is private or public sector, and only by understanding how they feel and gauging how engaged they are in their work can local governments hope to do what is best by them.
Sustained action is needed
Moving forward, digital maturity must continue to be a top priority for local authorities, allowing them to be more flexible and recruit more widely. Today, citizens are more accustomed to digital-first services than ever before, so it is important councils continue to innovate to the best of their ability and improve service delivery, retaining digital skills within the organisation, as well as employing senior digital leaders to lead the charge.
Undoubtedly, this is a tall order amid mounting pressures and an increasingly uncertain future, and seeking external help can be incredibly beneficial step within digital transformation. At Citrix we have much expertise in helping local government, and we are always happy to offer advice and support, wherever it is required.
