Socitm Blog

We live in unprecedented times - a Coalition Government, extreme financial austerity, accelerating demands and expectations on public services, climate change, population growth, the list goes on ......

Amongst all this, Socitm has been granted the opportunity to help shape government ICT strategy from a local public services perspective. The invitation has come from John Suffolk's department in The Cabinet Office via the Local CIO Council. Socitm Futures is taking up the challenge. We will be maintaining close contact with the Cabinet Office as we our thinking unfolds.

We also have the opportunity to engage a newly formed Local Government Association member group (under the auspices of the LGA Improvement Board), that will be tasked with championing ICT-enabled reform in local public services over the coming 12-18 months.

Our objective is to produce a local perspective on those strands of the Government ICT Strategy that are relevant to, and those that may be missing, for enabling and reforming delivery of local public services. The emphasis in our local perspective will be on the practical things that CIOs/Heads of IT will need in order to:

1. reduce the costs of IT services provision
2. enable the delivery of local public services in radically transformed ways and at significantly reduced cost.

Our perspective will be driven by Socitm's conception of Tomorrow's local public services, built on the three-fold principles of:

• Reformation - existing assets and opportunities for re-use
• Collaboration - multi agency/local/sub-regional/regional scales of working together
• Innovation - co-creation and co-production of services involving citizens, businesses, etc.

Much of this chimes with the Coalition Government's policies and principles, including the 'Big Society'.

With the help of Socitm Futures, we are developing a programme of work to cover the following workstreams:

PSN - G-cloud - Shared Data Centres - Apps Store

Shared Services and Supplier Management

Programme and Portfolio Management, including Project Delivery and IT Profession

End User Devices, including Desktop

Transparency and Open Data

Digital Delivery

Information Management, Assurance, Architecture, Standards and Open Source

Sustainability and Green ICT

Our aim is to produce a one-page summary for each workstream, with a supporting document setting out argument and evidence.We believe that much of the thinking and material already exists. Consequently, much of the work will be to assemble that thinking and supporting argument in a clear and logical manner using our collective experience and wisdom.

• Scoping document for the workstream (early August)
• First draft available for consultation with wider Futures and Local CIO Council members and other relevant stakeholders (18 August)
• Complete consultation (27 August)
• Submit final draft to Socitm Head of Policy (6 September)

The workstreams are being led by members of Socitm Futures and others with specialist knowledge and experience. We would be delighted to receive contributions from Socitm members and others - experiences and examples (good or bad!) - in each of the workstream areas. Please contact Suzanne Horner (suzanne.horner@socitm.net) in the first instance. She will be able to direct you to the relevant workstream lead.

You can view the event microsite and presentations at www.bpcw10.co.uk.

There were lots of excellent questions fired at me afterwards - perhaps you'd like to add your comments using the comment facility. And someone tweeted their amazement that a CIO (me presumably) knew about Twitter! Here goes with the speech (its quite long for a blog post):

I have to say that in any walk of life, building perfection is rarely the 'name of the game'.  'Fit for purpose' would be a more justifiable (and affordable) aspiration. However, in the case of public sector websites, pressure is growing for a step change.

We must remember that websites are still relatively new - 10 years ago, a significant proportion of local authorities did not have a web site and those who did it was just an electronic library of information.  Ten years before that few of us had a home PC.

Over time, largely as a result of customer demand, rather than efficiency measures, websites have improved their look and feel and their information content.  But we have yet to make the leap of faith for them becoming the default delivery channel.  I believe that is now happening.

Many of you will remember the Best Value Performance Indicator 157 - putting every transaction on line whatever the business value.  For all the criticism the 'e-Government' programme of 2002-2005, it did at least result in a growing interest in and focus on web transactions.  It feels to me as though we are at a similar turning point, and that's what this conference is about.

So 'perfection' is as much about improving the way in which we design and deliver public services and deliver efficiency at levels not previously thought possible.

Actually it's odd that we have not pushed the efficiency 'button' much harder until now.  The cost of a web transaction is a fraction of face-to-face or even dealing with a telephone call, and yet most public service organisations have preferred to choose web self-service as an additional channel, rather than 'channel shift' and replace traditional service delivery.  That is the 'leap of faith' which must now happen.

The public sector now has little choice but to stop doing things and to get rid of the majority of overheads associated with the traditional means of delivery.  Socitm have been advocating this for the best part of a decade, and the Better Connected service was set up specifically to give the examples of 'the best' and 'the rest' on this journey.

Despite some criticism of Better Connected from some web developers who don't necessarily share the same views, and from some Councils who feel they have been ranked too low, the Better Connected service has created an indisputably wide and deep impact in driving up public service website quality.  And it will continue to do so, even if it challenges us and creates some contentious debate.  To do otherwise would dilute value and influence.
 
What you will see today will be examples of best practice.  Not from the point of view of technologists.  Not from the point of view of policy designers and strategists.  But from the point of view of citizens.  And it is fair to say that we haven't always served their interests well enough web design.

Doing this now is not optional, and in that sense driving for perfection matters:

• Websites which are designed around the interests of individuals and communities.
• Content and electronic services which put the citizen in control.
• Automated and straight forward end-to-end transactions.
• Personalisation of websites, rather than the vanilla 'one size fits all'.

This also accords with the Martha Lane Fox drive to get all Britain on line.  It will not be good enough for Digital Inclusion to be a top priority for public service organisations if our websites are not up to scratch and providing easy access, effective support and useful services as people become more digitally active.

Being able to get the information that you want quickly or to complete a transaction simply is the priority for a citizen who rarely wants to read minutes of committees, detailed policies and long PDF files describing Council successes over the last 12 months, with photos of chief officers and politicians at harmonious gatherings. 

And raw data for developers matters - much can be left to them which traditionally we would have done.

There are, of course,  many good examples as well, and we should learn from these, and the pressure on a payback makes the choice of search engines, web publishing tools, and design aids essential to get right.  But it often does not take lots of money.  Some of the best websites that I have seen, for example, those that win the annual Hantsweb Awards event, are built on a shoestring by amateurs with nothing more than rudimentary knowledge and a great deal of hard work.

Despite the investments, it is actually still rare to find a really good website in the public or private sectors.  Some web design clearly show that people still believe that consumers on average are impressed by 'clever' technology such as 'flash media'- sports and leisure retailers are amongst the worse.  Some designers think web self-service is only about 'avoidable contact costs'.

The 'best' examples are simple, quick, and intuitive to use.  These are I suspect not designed by:

• the head of marketing ("isn't this pretty, you'll remember our logo")
• the web designer ("You won't find another web site using so many features")
• the policy manager ("I'm going to tell you how great we are and all about our history and philosophy")
• the IT department ("our technology is seriously clever and high performing")

The very best are single purpose - eg. Google, 'Nickys Seeds'.  So it's hard for complex public service organisations, but there are some golden rules in my view.

• Really, truly easy end-to-end transactions - "one and done", integrated not bolted on.
• Contact details and simple information - not reports and policy documents.
• Keep the format web based -avoid PDF.
• Up-to-date - spend enough time getting rid of old, out-of-date stuff.
• Customer driven - be a 'mystery shopper', and be surprised
• Don't rely on IT experts or marketing 'experts', use crowd sourcing.

The debate about 'too many web sites' is, in my view, a distraction.  You can't even count them if they are well integrated.  And why would you bother?  The 'too many website' angst is an issue because:

• So many of them are pointless or badly designed.
• They are symptomatic of layers of public sector quangos which get in the way of public administration and service delivery.
• The effect of preservation of unique 'brand' which is driven by self-justification and is confusing, unnecessary and counter to joined up government.

This last point is a growing concern.  Partnership services need a hosted web presence, and an identity but they don't necessarily need to run a completely separate web presence. For example, Hampshire hosts over 1000 websites.  It is the busiest local authority website as a result, moving traffic between services, whether delivered by the County or not.  Yet we have not got it right.  We still debate about new websites paid for (at least in part) by the County, delivered by the County, but yet are told that they must be separate from any County brand.  As a result, their visibility is lower, costs are higher and integration is diluted.

So what does the future hold?

Clearly technology will continue to develop, irrespective of whether the public sector can afford to be at the leading edge.  As Bill Gates said, "if you can imagine something being possible by technology, it will be delivered within five years.  The things you can't imagine will simply take a little longer."

There are some particular trends, which you are quite likely to be factoring into your thinking and your plans:

• Re-purposing content for mobile devices. 
• Providing data and information to fulfil the government's and the public's priority for transparency.
• Integrating transactions into services and related information, rather than a 'bolt-on' catalogue.
• 'Personalisation' with secure authentication to deliver content and information (both 'push' and 'pull') to individuals, under their control.
• Web self-service, with no intervention and complete automation from request to fulfilment, with invisible boundaries between public and private service delivery.

Fears of unfettered of demand will have to be dealt with - choking back public demand through deliberately bad design sometimes (often!) seen in the private sector just won't do.  There must be integration of contact centres, customer service strategy and web development.

As web services delivered through various access channels naturally become the default for delivery, they will also be the measurement of public service quality.

All of this means radical change.  Web services are no longer the domain of IT, 'Marketing' or a few specialists in individual departments.  Web services are a vital channel for all service managers who need to understand intimately the potential of the technology and the risks, benefits and change management implications.

These changes are arguably as big a step as the original adoption of the Web itself represented.  Lack of resources will both be an inhibitor but also a driver for creativity and change.  The launch of Socitm's Web Professionals' framework is also a significant step designed to support web and digital professionals.  This framework has been developed by practitioners working with Socitm and reflects the skills and expertise inherent in these roles.  By the end of the Summer, Socitm will be inviting web professionals to take up membership and apply for an accredited designation.  I strongly welcome this initiative.

Whatever happens, Socitm will be there, measuring performance and helping promote best practice, as well as encouraging citizen-focus adoption of web technology and design for service transformation and efficiency.

......but, in Socitm, we still see some opportunities wrapped up in the many challenges, (see Jos Creese' comments on the budget http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/06/24/21715/soctim-president budget-does-not-recognise-importance-of.htm. )

Whilst Socitm is most certainly pushing out beyond the traditional 'just IT' boundaries we remain totally commited to its critical role in the efficient delivery of first class, user focussed public services. Any budget or strategy that fails to acknowledge the strategically central role of IT AND that does not adequately account for investment and innovation is likely to run into trouble. In a culture and society where the expectation of easily accessed, easily used, online services is growing exponentially, a public service that does not embrace, exploit and deliver to these expectations will always dissapoint. This, I believe, puts Socitm at the heart of 'solutions provision', a part of the answer not the problem, and we are determined to rise to that challenge.

In terms of vision and credibility we have a team of people who are acknowledged as leading players in the public and third sectors (with plenty of eager and competent people coming up through the ranks) and who are dedicated to delivering value back to all of our members to equip us to 'deliver the goods' .

We are now well advanced with plans to introduce some significant professionalism and development initiatives and a Socitm social networking and knowledge platform. We continue our drive to provide up to the minute policy guidance, best practice advice and the continued growth of our regional networks.

OK, it's not exactly a bed of roses on all fronts at present and we have to deliver on some of the positive noises but we are well positioned to drive forward in a number of areas including member development, value added services, networking and knowledge sharing opportunities. It is a case of watch this space, or even better, join with us and 'create this space'....we really are only as good as our members.

Socitm response to the Budget 22nd June 2010

It was pretty clear to everyone beforehand, that the first budget of the new Coalition Government was going to be a difficult one - difficult for them to write given the austerity theme, and difficult for the rest of us in its impact.

Socitm was looking for specifics about the importance of technology, since technology lies at the heart of :

• Public sector reform and efficiency - doing more for less.
• The socio-economic well-being of communities.
• UK competitiveness and growth - in every sector  

If IT is seen as just a support service, then we will miss huge opportunities. Arguable, technology is the only 'silver bullet' in the armoury of the new government, and given many of the new ministerial team are IT-savvy, I was optimistic.

In practice, the budget does not go far enough in recognising this and no doubt our expectations were too much. There was an opportunity for bold statements about the multiplier effect of IT investment, especially in the public sector. It was a time to talk about new models of public/private collaboration using IT to drive public sector productivity and lower costs. It was a time to help the technology industry in the UK to modernise and see beyond the lucrative public sector deals on which some have relied in the past.

Some areas were well-trailed before the budget - such as the council tax and public sector pay freezes and other tax changes. Some cuts will not be unwelcome in the public sector. Cutting regulation, the 'performance measurement' industry and the number of quangos we have to deal with, for example. Austerity drives creativity and innovation, and we have seen this over the years in local government where funding has always been tighter than elsewhere. It is now widely accepted that some of the most effective, efficient and innovative applications of IT can be found in councils across the country.

One concern is about the effect of sudden changes. Cuts to grants alone have a ripple effect across the public sector and suppliers, and the cost of resulting realignments can be significant. Also, whilst reducing the number of quangos who have over time become involved in public administration is generally welcome, something will need to fill the vacuum they leave behind them (albeit a small one in some cases!).

There is another key to all this (besides the technology) and that is in leaving local public services with the freedom to decide how change should be managed. In the past, successive governments have set up national policies and programmes and then prescribed how the new measures need to be implemented, applying layers of regulation, audit and performance management to ensure this happens.

The impact of public sector cuts on our communities can be mitigated by supporting local public services to change. Welfare measures announced in the budget are a key component of the proposals for reducing the deficit. These will require focused action to reform public services, to drive collaboration and encourage innovation.

Opportunities created by a public sector network, cloud computing, shared services and other infrastructure developments will need to be exploited, and these represent a significant challenge to the IT industry and  to those working in IT in government.

This reform is about automation, self service and a more flexible and efficient workforce. Initiatives need to be scaled back, overheads reduced and assets freed up. A stronger commercial drive is also needed to increase income and create better value arrangements with the private sector. Collaboration demands that public services in any given locality share information, assets and resources to deliver more citizen-focused services. At the same time, citizens and businesses can interact more directly in how local services are shaped and personalised, achieving better targeting and reduced costs.

The budget proposals to abandon the 'broadband tax on landlines' are sensible, but do not address the lack of access which exists in some areas which will be a barrier to directly delivered modern public services. Indeed, the proposals appear to fall short of a commitment to achieving universal access - the words used are "working towards" - and their economic feasibility lies untested.

So if the budget is to be successful - that is, if it delivers savings in a way which are seen as necessary and acceptable by the public - then there needs to be a new era of trust between local and central government in how front line services are protected whilst dramatically falling unit costs are delivered.  This in turn will rely heavily on technology to transform what we do and how we do it.

Last week, Jos Creese and I were hosted by MISA-Ontario at their Annual Conference in Niagara . Jos was representing Socitm at the Conference, which was also providing the venue for the annual international meeting of the LOLA (Linked Organisation for Local Authority ICT Societies) - our partner associations.

For my part, there were a number of reasons to attend:

To identify ICT policy drivers, priorities and initiatives in the countries represented by the partner associations.

To initiate a critical comparison of these policies and initiatives.

..... and all this would be designed to challenge and support the development of Socitm's local public services perspective on the UK government's emerging ICT strategy.

Now for some reflections on the conference. It was fascinating to see how Canada has transformed public services, not the least reason being that the new Coalition Government regularly cites Canada as a shining example. Several things struck both Jos and myself:

• There is greater local autonomy in public services than is the case in the UK.
• The level of regulation and national performance measures used to control and audit local delivery is much lower.
• With the exception of the major cities, they have a two tier system very similar to the traditional UK model; we found that this causes few, if any, problems for the CIOs at the different levels.
• They have the same challenges as the UK in making IT worker harder to deliver transformation and openness; in some areas they are ahead (e.g. shared services) and in some areas we are ahead (e.g. open government).

So, what of the lead up to the conference, and the conference itself?

C          Call 311

A          LOLA

N          Niagara

A          trAnsparency

D          Doing IT differently

A          MISA - Ontario

Call 311 - " Toronto at your service" - non-emergency contact centre

Straight from the airport, I joined the international delegates in Downtown Toronto, to be hosted by Stephen Wong at the Toronto 311 Centre. His was a fascinating story of a City Regional Authority formed by amalgamation of the former Region and 5 lower tier municipalities, 50,000 staff (36,000 City and 14,000 Boards, Agencies, Commissions) with a Cdn$9bn p.a. operating budget. The 311 project, championed by the Mayor, started in 2004 comprises a contact centre and the Toronto 311 website with staff of anything up to 120 at busy times.

Upon my return to the UK, this case study has been of interest to The Cabinet Office for the opportunities presented by the concept of the single non-emergency number, in particular for rationalisation of contact centres and telephone numbers and the resulting efficiency savings.

LOLA - Linked Organisation of Local Authority ICT Societies

Immediately after our 311 visit, the international delegates met to discuss the opportunities for collaboration. I facilitated a discussion about our proposal for a project to identify and compare the ICT priorities and experiences in each of our countries. The project received unanimous support. We agreed a timetable for its execution and completion in 2010. Other topics included a refresh of the LOLA website, use of collaboration tools, participation in an EU-funded conference in Belgium in December 2010, international webinars, reducing carbon emissions from desktop infrastructure, and a proposed project on shared services.

Later in the MISA Conference, the international delegates presented selected aspects of ICT activity in their respective countries. Readers may be interested in sunshinereview.org, which assesses the transparency of US States, Counties and School Boards against a range of criteria. Jos gave an update on the work of SOCITM and UK government priorities for IT. He also had a chance to talk with the mayor of Niagara about political developments in Ontario and the way public services are working with the private sector now.

Among awards given to organizations, the winner of MISA-Ontario's first-ever International Excellence in Municipal Systems Award was the national municipal IT organization of New Zealand, ALGIM, for its Information Management Toolkit.

Niagara

The Conference location was a spectacular one set in a hotel adjacent to the famous Falls. The Hotel itself provided an excellent venue, facilitated by a team from the host municipality of Niagara. An interesting departure from our UK experience was that breakfast was served in the main conference room which was laid out cafe style with the exhibition stands at either side. This provided a great opportunity for networking.

Transparency - Open Government and Web 2.0

Transparency was a major theme running through the conference. David Eaves - "citizen, blogger and activist" - delivered a challenging keynote, citing experience in the City of Vancouver, amongst many other examples. This was followed by a panel debate in which Jos gave a short presentation on open government, which was particularly well-received.

Doing IT differently

Keynotes on cloud computing and measuring the value of IT provided some interesting perspectives on areas that lie at the heart of Socitm's priority policy areas. The latter was particularly pertinent given the work underway with Socitm Insight/Benchmarking to develop some useful guidelines for measuring the value contributed by IT to local public services.

MISA - Municipal Information Systems Association, Ontario

MISA Ontario has a history that predates Socitm, having been formed in 1971. I attended a session where their new Corporate Strategy was presented. There were striking parallels with Socitm, as well as some potential ideas on the commercial side that might transfer to the UK and elsewhere watch this space! Of particular note is the number of software agreements that have been negotiated with suppliers (and the lack of EU constraints!).

Overall this was an excellent conference with plenty of opportunities for exchange of ideas. Out thanks go to our Canadian hosts who were unstinting in their attention to our programme and to our well-being. Our congratulations go to our lead host Harry Turnbull, who won two awards during the course of the conference.

Direct experience of what is really happening in Canada will lend credibility to Socitm in responding to those voices in the UK who have not visited, but are quoting Canada as an example of best practice. Indeed, some of the experiences of cities such as Edmonton, Regina and Vancouver in dealing with significant budget shortfalls are particularly relevant.

This item was published in Socitm News, June 2010.

Recession, climate change, coalition government, financial austerity - public services need to reform, collaborate and innovate as never before. ICT will likely be the cornerstone - providing the foundational information systems, modernising delivery, enabling efficiency. We can foresee radically different public services in the next 5-10 years.

IT professionals will need to be seen as trusted 'agents of change', involved directly in policy formulation and service redesign, and less in technology, taking risks and being at the forefront of change, not sheltering in the Data Centre. Our members will have to prove themselves in this, and the Society must provide the right armoury of services and support to help them to succeed.

What are your views? Do you share this view of the future? Where does Socitm need to do more to help you? Where should our priorities lie? For me there are three areas of key importance right now on which I would welcome your comments and your challenge:

·Professionalism - broadening the membership beyond the traditional heads of IT and local government sector. But which areas of the wider IT profession should we be seeking to enrol into membership? How might we go about this? What services and support should we develop for these expanded areas of membership?

·Affiliations - e.g. closer links with the BCS, LGA, IDeA, SOLACE, CIPFA, Central Government, NHS and the private sector: Which of these should we prioritise? Are there any missing from the list? What should we aim to achieve from these affiliations, generally, and individually? How should we engage in these affiliations?

·Wider membership involvement in the work of the Society: what are the strengths and weaknesses of existing member involvement? What new forms of involvement would you like to see opened up? (e.g. social networking.)? How do you want to be more involved?

Tell me what you think please via:

e-mail: jos.creese@hants.gov.uk

Twitter: @SocitmPresident

Socitm blog: This article is posted on the Socitm blog with the facility for you to make and share your comments there - ./blog/socitmblog

Greater member involvement is a priority I set this year. It is hard to get people to do more, but our collective strength will be the measure of our individual success. We have some enormous untapped talent within the Society that is unmatched in similar professional associations.

The rewards can be significant - sharing best practice, gaining experience and profile for you and your organisation. Use the Society to strengthen the competency and effectiveness of IT in your organisation and prove this; Socitm must be seen by public service leaders as the 'IT professional association of choice', helping to drive efficiency, modernisation and successful change. Influence comes through delivering results, not just in having knowledge.

I look forward to the year ahead and working with you and sharing your ideas. I'd like to hear from you on any of the questions asked here about how the Society can best serve your interests and meet the challenges facing the public sector over the next few years.

Jos Creese, Socitm President

It was time for the Delivery Management meeting......which in case you don't know is a meeting of a group of people from various government sectors and departments who all belong to, or are eager to promote, one of the most senior and practical competency streams from the SFIA framework . These periodic meetings are worthwhile for a number of reasons. Firstly, they always meet somewhere interesting, Brighton this time, and focus on input from local hosts, secondly, it is a great group of interesting people from whom you cannot fail to learn something and, finally, 'delivery management' is at the sharp end of what we have all got to do.... deliver stuff!!

 We started out last afternoon / evening (16th) with a guided tour of the Pavilion, courtesy of Brighton and Hove City Council , which was fascinating - it was my first time ever in Brighton so everything was new... We then met up in the local Pizza Express where, alongside eating, we had robust discussion on a wide range of subjects, not least of all procurement across government - it was 'Chatham House' to save all kinds of embarrasment!

 Anyway, the real business was today, again hosted by Brighton & Hove,  at which we heard about progress from G Cloud and the Apps Store. This was a great presentation with lively discussion and some really positive Cabinet Office input. There are still a number of IT types of varying seniority (none of whom are part of this group) who still prefer the 'ostrich' approach to cloud, or, if you prefer, they are playing the metaphorical 'King Canute' and trying to stop the tide. Oh dear! This doesn't mean there aren't serious questions to answer and issues to resolve but that's what you expect when you are pushing the boundaries. We then had a great presentation and discussion lead by Brighton & Hove which outlined some of the real issues faced by the council and some of the plans for transformation and improvement in service delivery. Much of this goes under the 'strap line' 'Getting the Council you deserve' - which of course can be taken a number of ways... We finished with a round up of news and information from a variety of areas including Cabinet Office, Home Office, MoD, Transport, Local Government and Fire.

This group is one of the more proactive strands emerging from the Government IT Profession (although it's not at all certain what's happened to that initiative......) but it now offers value that goes beyond GITP and should certainly outlive it - although we are all hoping to see GITP alive and kicking again very shortly.

 For those that don't know, our 'flagship event' Socitm2010 is in Brighton from Oct 10-12, and it is shaping up to be a really great event which not only has some great speakers lined up, but will also deal with live issues faced by CIO's, IT Directors, Resource Directors and Service Delivery Managers across the public and third sectors. Having had my introduction to Brighton this week I am really looking forward to October.