The public sector has always lagged behind commercial in general terms. Most British employees in the public sector don’t feel as confident about how the Government invests in the future compared to private companies. However, digital transformation is undeniably vital. Organisations of all kinds must adapt to keep up, and the public sector is no exception.
So, what can you do to tackle the resistance to digital transformation in public sector organisations? On this page, we’ve compiled five of the most pivotal challenges public sector organisations face on this topic. Confront these, and you’ll be well on the way to a practical, future-proof plan.
1. Leadership and management
Lead from the front. That’s what they always say. Digital transformation is no exception. In many cases, getting managers and leaders to buy into change can be a real challenge. Many don’t see the need, or feel significant expenditure on technology is futile – you’ve managed okay so far, after all. Such views are often a result of intelligence silos, poor communication or, occasionally, downright stubbornness.
Digital transformation should not be seen as an ICT/digital function-led initiative, as it changes how an organisation works, not how its ICT department works.
So, ICT and digital needs proper representation at the top table. Recently, there has been a trend in downsizing the number of senior execs in public sector bodies due to austerity. If this happens, ICT/digital needs the ability to speak authoritatively to the organisation’s senior execs, not as a junior partner.
Change starts at the top. The people that must be shown the benefits of digital transformation are your managers and leaders. Their drive to do something about it should trickle down to the employees.
2. Lack of Government funding
Your public sector organisation is, of course, funded by taxpayers. Any investments in digital transformation inevitably stem from spending initiatives from Central Government. That’s an issue faced by almost every Government employee and enterprise.
As you’ll know, securing additional funds is complicated, especially during this emerging cost-of-living crisis. You could try rallying staff above you or forming connections with MPs. In the end, the most impactful thing you can do right now is cut costs. The best way to do that? Digital transformation. With a good, well-thought-out strategy, it’s possible to create a step-by-step action plan. This means you can begin your digital transformation journey on a low budget. As you save money by implementing new systems and features, this extra funding can go straight into the pool for further (more significant) cloud-based investment.
However, savings through digital transformation need to be measured and given up. It’s easy for a senior officer to agree some transformation will give them a saving, then make the saving but not actually offer it up. This is particularly hard because often the saving is a reduction in staff time to complete a task, so the saving is in the number of staff the organisation has.
The other route digital transformation can take is by replacing old systems and hardware with newer lower cost offerings. This results in lower maintenance and support costs and can often result in significant year on year savings but requires up-front investment. These two types of digital transformation should be combined.
3. Staff skills and resistance to change
Digital technology feels like it updates and improves on an almost monthly basis. To some of your staff, this might be overwhelming. They’ve done their job a certain way for years – decades, even. Asking them to change things up can be a tricky thing to navigate. Some will simply be resistant to change; others might feel so out of their depth with computers that they feel unable to support digital progress.
There’s good news, though. You’re creating a bespoke solution for your public sector organisation. You can design it in whichever way works best for your staff (although there are, of course, other factors too). Everyone can learn to use the basic functions of an ICT system with the proper training. You just need to encourage your employees along the way.
4. Intelligence silos
Intelligence silos are organisational models that prevent leaders from seeing the whole picture. They’re usually down to poor communication or poorly thought-out business structures. For example, the IT department might not understand the benefit of an improved HR, Care Management or Democracy Management system. Because of this, they won’t prioritise development, and nothing will improve.
Consider restructuring your organisation or improving communication methods before (or as part of) digital transformation. You might find that this (relatively) simple technique has a significant positive impact.
5. Lack of well-defined strategy
With any kind of development, it’s vital to have a detailed plan. A well-defined strategy would:
- Make it clear what the objective is
- Identify how you will reach the objective
- Show how success will be measured
- Identify the resources required
- Identify the cost
- Identify the timescales
- Identify how progress will be tracked
Beginning work on digital transformation without a careful strategy is asking for trouble. You’ll run over budget before you know it. The end result might not benefit your end-users or save any money. All of this would make the whole endeavour a complete waste of time and resources. Trust us. Lay solid foundations with a well-defined strategy, and you’ll never need to worry about your project failing.
How can AMDH help you?
AMDH Services is all about helping your public sector organisation grow. We know the typical difficulties you’ll often face and have plenty of experience producing effective solutions. They’re usually not as expensive as you might assume, either.
If you’d like assistance with your public sector organisation’s digital transformation, we’d love to hear from you. Our experienced team will work directly with your staff to identify how cloud-based systems can help. We can help by:
- Producing a detailed digital transformation strategy
- Evaluating your current environment to identify the best targets for digital transformation
- Working with you to implement the changes
- Ensuring you’ve got everything covered – including security
- And more.
Use the form on this page to contact us. We’ll look forward to helping your organisation get the breather it deserves.
