Services on the line

22 Jul 11
Emma Watkins

We need to transform our public services so that the public can continue to receive high-quality services but at a reduced cost for the taxpayer. We think that part of the answer lies in harnessing the potential of information technology.

IT has already made many public service transactions easier for the public and for businesses, such as being able to renew driving licences and pay council tax online.

Meanwhile, councils, police forces and health trusts are sharing services in HR and financial management to reduce costs and improve efficiency. And the public, now adept at banking or shopping online, expect the same sort of convenience from their public services.

There is clearly scope to do much more with IT. In the private sector, technology is critical to giving an organisation the competitive edge, improving efficiency and helping to match changing customer needs.

This isn’t always the case in the public sector. Too often IT is seen as just a support service. There are also signs that public service commissioners are becoming more risk-averse e when public services most need effective IT.

Concerns about big capital outlays initially and technology taking a long time to deliver benefits are overblown. In fact, many technologies are available as off-the-shelf products and are already being used, but because there is no formal sharing of good practice, the benefits remain largely unknown.

We’ve set out some lessons for commissioners in a new report System reset: transforming public services through IT. Among the criteria for success are specifying an outcome and leaving the supplier to determine the best way of delivering it; ensuring there is adequate support following implementation; and involving staff from the outset.

Emma Watkins is head of public services policy at the CBI

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