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I am much taken with a recent speech by the Rt Hon Jim Knight MP (the Smarter Government Minister responsible for digital transformation of public services – find him on Twitter ). He was speaking about ‘The Future of Public Services Online’ at the 5th National Digital Inclusion Conference, Vinopolis Conference Centre this week.
Politics aside, this was a speech that went to the heart of the whole ‘digital’ issue. As Mr Knight says “Digital is now fundamental to how we work, how we learn and how we communicate.”
His view: “For me the digital transformation of public services has three key elements, getting people online, improving the customer experience and saving money. Success will sit on these priorities like upon a three legged stool – and it will fall over, we will fail, if any one of these areas is not delivered. To achieve this I cannot tell you the scale of the cultural revolution we need in public service.”
But he also has a clear view on the inclusivity necessary for success. “To make digital interaction meaningful we need to invest wholeheartedly in our online relationships. It is not enough to allow people to give their feedback we must allow it to shape services. It is not enough to simply create the space for discussion we must act on it. Real digital inclusion is about the power of the internet to allow people to live as they want to, accessing services at home, at work or on the move. It is about pushing power out so that people can create services not just use them.”
Regular attendees at my various workshops and readers of this blog will know that I have a real concern about the piecemeal approach that forces are taking to the whole ‘digital’ dimension.
I hear talk of digital inclusion, digital engagement, digital access. What I don’t hear too often is who is doing the joined up thinking about all this in a force. Where does ‘digital responsibilty’ sit in your organisation ? IT, Media and Communications? Corporate services? Are your brightest and best focused on how it will/could/should transform the way you work, the way that your force interacts, the opportunities it presents for ‘service shaping’, the opportunities to reduce costs, improve access, deliver new services?
Where does it sit at Chief Officer level ? ‘Digital’ crosses all areas of the business. Is the Deputy Chief Constable best placed to lead the agenda (does he/she have the skills/time/interest?). Should there be a separate board level police staff position ? How will it link across all the other portfolio’s (turf wars waste time and don’t improve the service to the public).
In short, who’s thinking about and leading on ‘digital’ for you force?
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Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Allen Taylor
Thanks. Mike
Until large organisations, including the police service and Government, funamentally change their thinking about the integration of the ‘customer experience’ (excuse the David Brent-ism !) and find ways of cutting across silos and organisational boundaries I don’t think we will see properly integrated and planned service delivery, including communications and awareness. Appropriate and UNDERSTOOD access to services (and how that access is prioritised particularly in the current economic climate) is fundamental to confidence and satisfaction and to effective service design and delivery.
One point I do think is crucial, access to the digital ‘universe’ is not as universal and we would like to think, neither among service deliverers (including, I suspect DCCs) and, more crucially those who use our servies (or those who don’t but need to have confidence that they will be there when they do need them). And, somewhat controversially (let’s stimulate some debate) there is no absolute substitute for face-to-face communications, so why aren’t we making more use of ‘live’ interractive communications and using our more information-giving tools (one-way) to make people aware of how to get their views heard face to face.
Phew! That’s exhausted me for today now lol
Colette
Morning Mike and an excellent blog as ever.
This is the area of work that we in the Citizen Focus Programme and the NPIA in general have been working at for a while. We agree with the work of the Central Office of Information that there is a great deal of work to be done in raising awareness and thought-through processes. To that end, as you know we organised the first UK Policing 2.0 Conference which was attended by representatives from all forces. This was directly influential in the appointment of ACC Gordon Scobbie from West Midlands Police as ACPO Lead in Digital and Social Media Engagement.
There are challenges, ACPO and Forces like to tread their own paths (and that’s not wrong), but I believe that progress is being made!
Nick Keane
Knowledge Manager
Citizen Focus and Neighbourhood Policing Programme
http://twitter.com/nickkeane
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Mike Alderson
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