United Kingdom e-Government success: 5 principles
13 March 2014
Since 2010 , UK has taken bold steps in modernising its public service and its successes are well known – it is now on track to becoming the “most digital government” in the G8 by 2015. UK’s Minister for the Cabinet Office, Francis Maude, believes that governments around the world are facing similar changes – tight budgets, rising expectations and low growth.
“So we need a new paradigm for government services – one that delivers better services, focused on user needs, at much lower cost, in a way that supports economic growth.”
Digital technology is an absolutely crucial part of the future of government services, although there are many other ingredients too, notes Maude. He shared five principles that have characterised UK’s government modernisation journey and which he believes should characterise productive, effective and successful governments, now and in future.
1. Open government
Transparency can be extremely uncomfortable – open data exposes waste and taxpayers are able to see exactly how their money is spent.
“But this sharpens accountability and informs choice over public services. And combined with ever increasing technological capability, it will ultimately create more accountable, efficient and effective governments,” Maude said.
2. Tight centralised control
Tight control from the centre over common activities – like IT, procurement, management information, property and oversight of major projects – reduces costs and encourages collaborative working, continued Maude. He believes that governments have been lacking a strong corporate centre for far too long.
The UK Government created the Efficiency and Reform Group that “works across artificial departmental boundaries to implement cross government solutions to cross government problems”.
Governments should run more like the best-run businesses, with every penny of taxpayers’ money used to maximum effect.
3. Loose control
Tight control over the centre must be matched by looser control over operations, noted Maude. He suggests that spin-offs and commissioning of services outside the public sector should become the norm.
“Public service mutuals, joint ventures and charitable enterprises are attractive alternatives to the old binary choice between delivering services in-house or full red-blooded privatisation.”
This frees public sector workers to do their job as they know best, and combined with entrepreneurialism, this can be an incredible force.
“It’s part of a mindset which elevates the service that the public receives above the structure that delivers it,” he said.
4. Digital
Maude’s fourth principle is: if a service can be delivered online, then it should be delivered only online. This is the approach that the UK Government has taken to transform its 25 largest transactional government services to make them simpler, clearer, faster and designed around the users’ needs.
UK’s digital-by-default agenda advocates “creating digital services that are so straightforward that all those who can use them will choose to do so, and those who can’t are given the support they need”, Maude explained.
He emphasised that building digital services is an iterative process – building and testing in small chunks and working quickly to make improvements along the way, with continuous feedback and refinements. By committing to open standards and open source software, governments can also create a more open market for IT suppliers, increasing competition, lowering licensing costs and advancing innovation.
5. Innovation
New models of delivery, new digital services and a new attitude – all these require the right skills and culture within public service.
“Public servants must be given the flexibility to try sensible and innovative ideas,” Maude said.
Risk, when managed properly, can be pioneering and transformative. And the real mistake is to never try anything new in the first place or to continue doing something that is not working.
“So we need a culture that is more open and less bureaucratic, focused on the delivery of outcomes rather than the process or the structures.”
Civil servants should feel able to challenge the status quo and they should be equipped with the commercial, digital and leadership skills they need to do their jobs and to be accountable for what they believe. The race for a more effective and efficient government has no finishing line, Maude points out.
“The work of making government more efficient never ends. I stress that we did not start with these principles – but with the practice of making changes to test what worked and what didn’t. These principles are distilled from that practice and experience. I think they can be of widespread application for all governments of all origins. We all face the same challenges and we can all learn from each other’s experiences.”
Source: futuregov