Public sector - Local Government

Public services are a rapidly changing environment. With councils gaining increasing powers over policy, local government is becoming increasingly dynamic.

But budget constraint will remain the key influence on decision making, with local authorities asked to contribute £1.166bn to the overall savings in public spending.

Whilst no individual authority will face a reduction in revenue grant of more than 2 percent, local government organisations need to respond effectively to the opportunities provided by escalating local influence within a climate of unprecedented cost cutting.

Control Costs – Local government organisations need to look very closely at the existing IT asset base to assess how best to reduce costs without jeopardising frontline services.

• Opting to consolidate data, voice and mobile requirements with a single supplier can deliver significantly better value.
• Taking a new approach to communications financing can drive down costs and enable a smooth transition from outdated, and expensive to maintain, voice and data infrastructure to a new, cost effective IP infrastructure.

Look closely at existing maintenance contracts – a review will typically drive down costs by 20%

Organisations should also considering leveraging the drop in mobile costs to replace the fixed voice infrastructure. Find out more »

Transforming Customer Communication – Effective citizen communication is at the heart of local government. Organisations do not want to undermine the extensive investment in both technology and skills.

• A contact centre evaluation is a good way to highlight opportunities for more agile communication with customers, from basic requests for waste services to complex housing claims.
• Adding SMS, email, instant chat and social media to the contact centre can streamline communication and drive down costs.  These technologies can also be used to drive specific initiatives, such as a reduction in missed appointments to deliver further savings and improve productivity. Find out more »

Impose Greater Control – A managed service provides financial savings from day one.

• Fixed fees for technology management and support offer greater financial transparency and control.
• Built-in technology refreshes provide excellent cost control and the agility to utilise state of the art technology to support new frontline services. Find out more »

Local Government Association www.lga.gov.uk
Local government news and debate www.publicservice.co.uk
Local Government Chronicle www.lgcplus.com
Local government technology news: www.UKauthorITy.com
Socitm www.socitm.gov.uk