Senior managers and frontline staff at all levels of
government are struggling to realise the potential of IT to meet
the efficiency targets set by the Gershon Review, says new research
from The Work Foundation.
The research, sponsored by Adobe, found that over two-thirds of
frontline staff are unsure about what “efficiency” means, while
two-thirds of frontline managers do not see IT as being integral to
public service reforms.
The Work Foundation says the government’s forthcoming
e-Government strategy must quickly put in place the building blocks
to engage leaders of organisations into thinking about IT’s
contribution at an early stage.
The Work Foundation also said those developing governmental IT
strategies had to adopt flexible strategies that addressed
different areas. For instance, it said its research showed that
people are more willing to pay taxes online than to discuss medical
issues.
It also said there was the need for a debate about data privacy
to overcome opposition to IT, and to convince people about the
benefits of technology in delivering services.
The Foundation also said IT procurement processes and supply
chain management had to be improved to deliver better IT
solutions.
In addition, those initiating public IT projects had to listen
more to public sector staff before going live with projects, and
learn from past mistakes to avoid future ones.
Alexandra Jones, associate director of The Work Foundation,
said, "If public services are to be transformed, it is urgent that
public service leaders think innovatively about how information and
communication technology can be used to meet efficiency targets and
increase customer focus.
“ICT is not an end in itself - but it can provide ways of
revolutionising both the relationship between the citizen and
public services and the way in which public services are provided,”
Jones said.
The research findings were based on interviews with senior
public service managers, a survey of over 500 public service
workers, 1,000 members of the public and two focus groups.
The not-for-profit Work Foundation has Royal Charter status and
aims to improve the quality of working life while lifting
organisational performance.