Quote 83% of public sector decision-makers DON’T consider their digital transformation completely successful

“Decision-makers in UK public sector organisations increasingly want to adopt industry-specific solutions to speed up digital transformation and focus scarce resources on customer-centric programmes over costly legacy technology debt.” That’s a key finding from ‘The Public Sector Industry Cloud Landscape’ report from Forrester Research.

Why? Because although digital technology is already being rolled out across the public sector, only 17% of decision-makers consider their digital transformation completely successful, according to the report ‘UK Public Sector Must Accelerate Digital Transformation To Achieve Digital Maturity’ from KPMG and Forrester. For many, there’s still much to do to improve processes and deliver better, more accessible services to citizens – and this study reveals their key drivers.

Number one is to increase agility, cited by 57% of respondents, while 55% are determined to improve operational efficiency and the employee experience by leveraging automation to reduce manual tasks. Delivering a better citizen digital experience is key for 52% of decision-makers surveyed, with 51% saying they are focused on modernising legacy technology, and 48% on ensuring compliance and security.

Lack of skills

With the majority of respondents admitting there is a lack of strategy, skills and budget, and that current approaches are failing due to technology, process, people and governance issues, public sector organisations are likely to need help achieving these goals. This is backed up by UK Government research estimating that the public sector has under half the number of digital, data and technology professionals it needs, according to the Digital Transformation in Government: Addressing the Barriers to Efficiency report.

This is why, despite tight budgets, almost two-thirds of decision-makers plan to increase spending on third-party services to accelerate transformation. In fact, 41% are already working with external partners and confirmed this was having a positive impact on their organisation’s digital transformation journey. But where are they looking for support?

Over half are seeking help to move applications to the cloud (59%) and to boost public sector cybersecurity (54%). Meanwhile, a significant number need support increasing the use of agile (47%) and DevOps methodologies (45%), as well as boosting employees’ digital skills (43%).

Adding value

Quote 63% of public sector decision-makers plan to increase spending on third-party services to accelerate digital transformation.

However, the demands of public sector decision-makers go beyond technology expertise. Almost three-quarters are looking for strong customer support, the highest ranked driver in choosing a digital transformation partner. They also want third-party providers to offer customisation of their offerings (55%), flexible contracting processes (53%), and robust change management support (52%) to address their evolving needs effectively. So, the gauntlet has been laid down. But to truly rise to the challenge, public sector technology partners must go above and beyond to ensure digital transformation success as quickly, efficiently and cost effectively as possible. After all, the future of the UK’s essential care and support services is at stake, meaning failure is simply not an option.

• Start overcoming your public sector digital transformation challenges today with a dedicated software development partner you can trust. Contact the Mindera Public Sector team…
• Find out more about Mindera’s public sector services here [link to GovTech section]
• Dig deeper into the challenges facing the public sector and how we can help [link to Reimaging the Public Sector for the Digital Age]

Key takeaways

• Decision-makers in UK public sector organisations increasingly want to adopt industry-specific solutions to speed up digital transformation and focus scarce resources on customer-centric programmes over costly legacy technology debt.
• Top requirements include increasing agility, improving operational efficiency and the employee experience, delivering a better citizen digital experience, modernising legacy technology, and ensuring compliance and security.
• With most decision-makers admitting there is a lack of strategy, skills, and budget, and that current approaches are failing due to technology, process, people and governance issues, public sector organisations are likely to need help achieving these goals.
• To truly rise to the challenge, technology partners must go above and beyond to drive successful public sector digital transformation as quickly, efficiently and cost effectively as possible.

About the author

Richard Hilsley is Mindera's MD.