Culture, funding and skills holding back government’s digital drive

A survey of more than 400 public service leaders by business advisory firm Deloitte finds that the public sector lacks the skills, funding and culture to successfully deliver digital public services.

Deloitte surveyed leaders across central and local government, the NHS, police and further and higher education on how their organisations are moving toward digital services.

Despite 86% saying it is essential to success, just 12% say they are actively involving and consulting citizens in the design of digital services, with only half having the ability within their organisations to capture citizens’ views and preferences.

89% say their organisation is pursuing digital services to cut costs but just 32% say that funding for the shift to digital within their organisations has increased and 28% have the right level of resources available to bring in expertise.

One-quarter say their organisation has sufficient skills within the organisation to execute their digital plans and one-third say their organisation’s leaders have the right level of digital skills. Overall, just one-third have confidence that their organisation is well-placed to respond to digital trends.

83% say that procurement rules hinder their ability to source digital services, despite 74% of respondents saying that they rely on outsourced expertise.

Joel Bellman, public sector digital partner at Deloitte, said:

“In terms of efficiency and money saved, there is a great deal to gain from digital public services. Citizens are accustomed to excellent digital services in other areas of their lives and do not accept that Government is immune from this. Our survey finds a disconnect between those designing digital public service and those that will use them.

“The technology is there for the public sector to take advantage, yet they lack the culture, skills, governance and leadership to do so. The public sector needs to ramp up its digital skills, just one quarter saying they have the right skills in place is not a good omen.

“Funding is clearly going to be difficult in an age of austerity but digital is a route to long term savings.”

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Notes to editors

About Deloitte
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte LLP, which is among the country's leading professional services firms.

Deloitte LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (“DTTL”), a UK private company limited by guarantee, whose member firms are legally separate and independent entities. Please see www.deloitte.co.uk/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of DTTL and its member firms.

The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.

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