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DSIT has unveiled new records which show how AI is being used by government departments and agencies to provide reliable and quicker services to the public and businesses.
The records show the inner workings of algorithmic tools being used to help public services to support citizens, make quick and accurate decisions, and drive forward the use of technology to improve government services and cut backlogs.
The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) records show how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is using AI to more quickly provide Britons with information when they need help abroad and the Ministry of Justice is using algorithms to help researchers better understand how people interact with the justice system.
They also reveal that the Department for Business and Trade is using an algorithmic tool to predict which companies export goods to other countries, in turn driving economic growth and supporting the government’s Plan for Change. Officials are then able to make decisions about which companies they reach out and offer help to, so high potential exporting businesses can reach more international customers quickly. Before the tool was introduced, officials had to manually search through data on the over 5 million companies registered on Companies House.
Science secretary Peter Kyle said: “Technology has huge potential to transform public services for the better, we will put it to use to cut backlogs, save money and improve outcomes for citizens across the country...
London Councils has announced the launch of its new Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), which is designed to streamline the procurement of electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure such as chargepoints.
Developed in partnership with the procurement specialist Proactis, the new DPS will make it easier for suppliers to bid for contracts and for local authorities to manage their purchasing needs. This will also for EV infrastructure to be catered for, and will aim to support boroughs in providing the chargepoints that residents, businesses, and visitors need.
London is currently leading the nation in EV infrastructure, with over 20,000 public chargepoints available to Londoners and those rising the capital.
The DPS is designed to strengthen purchasing through enhanced efficiency by reducing the time and resources required for procurement, as well as increased transparency from all procurement activities being conducted through a central platform, thus ensuring a clear and auditable trail of all transactions.
Additionally, by opening up the procurement process to a wider range of suppliers, local authorities should be able achieve more competitive pricing and better quality goods and services as well as allowing London boroughs to pool their buying power. Standards and supplier engagement would also be improved through facilitating better communication and collaboration with suppliers, fostering stronger relationships and encouraging innovation...
The government has announced reforms to the country’s energy system, designed to make British energy secure, protect households from energy price spikes, reindustrialise the country with thousands of skilled jobs, and tackle the climate crisis.
The plan contains measures to get more homegrown clean power to people, including cleaning up a dysfunctional grid system by prioritising the most important projects and ending the ‘first-come-first served’ system; speeding up decisions on planning permission by empowering planners to prioritise critical energy infrastructure; and expanding the renewable auction process to stop delays and get more projects connected.
It is hoped the reforms will unleash £40 billion a year of mainly private investment in homegrown clean power projects and infrastructure across the country, creating good jobs across the country including engineers, welders and mechanics.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “A new era of clean electricity for our country offers a positive vision of Britain’s future with energy security, lower bills, good jobs and climate action. This can only happen with big, bold change and that is why the government is embarking on the most ambitious reforms to our energy system in generations.
“The era of clean electricity is about harnessing the power of Britain’s natural resources so we can protect working people from the ravages of global energy markets...
More than 300 new and upgraded CCTV cameras have been installed across the capital, thanks to funding from the Mayor of London.
The upgrades, are designed to improve security for homes, businesses and communities and have been fitted after £30 million of investment in full fibre coverage.
The funding is part of the Mayor’s work to deliver new improved digital public services and make London safer for everyone.
The updates mean that clearer footage will be captured by CCTV cameras and be available to the Met Police, helping to identify, pursue and prosecute offenders.
The work has been delivered by the Mayor’s Connected London programme which improves full fibre connectivity across hardto-reach areas in the capital. Other projects include the installation of new sensors to monitor air quality, better monitoring of traffic congestion, as well as supporting councils to enhance public safety by monitoring town centres and high streets.
Merton Council has used the money to upgrade their fibre to support the installation of 55 new cameras, and enabling the local authority to improve incident response times with partners, increase the reliability of their CCTV network, reduce running costs and help them allocate extra resources to other community safety initiatives...
HEALTHCARE
The NHS is using AI to predict patients who may be at risk of becoming frequent users of emergency services so staff can get them more appropriate care at an earlier stage.
It is hoped that the intervention will ensure that thousands of people get the support they need earlier, while also reducing demand on pressured A&Es.
There are more than 360,000 patients who attend A&E more than five times every year.
NHS teams are now using data-powered initiatives to identify them and are proactively reaching out with support to prevent them from attending A&E.
High Intensity Use (HIU) services use the latest data to find the most regular attendees in their area to identify and resolve the reasons patients are coming forward for care so regularly. This is often associated with poverty and social isolation.
HIU services have been rolled out to support more than 125 emergency departments across England, which provide patients with one-to-one coaching support in their own homes to tackle the root cause of why they are visiting A&E.
Projects have already helped reduce the number of frequent attendances by more than half in some parts of the country. For example, South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recruited a dedicated keyworker to offer social, practical and emotional support to 20 HIU individuals and helped them more than halve their visits to A&E...
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The British Army tested a high-energy weapon for the first time and successfully destroyed flying drones, after being launched off a Wolfhound vehicle in Wales.
The laser works by directing beams of infrared light towards its target using advanced sensors and tracking systems to locate the drone in real time.
The successful trial of the laser could lead to big savings, as conventional munitions require a constant ammunition supply, which laser weapons do not.
Minister for defence procurement and industry, Maria Eagle MP, said: “This groundbreaking technology demonstrates Britain’s commitment to staying at the forefront of military innovation.
“The successful testing of this laser weapon system represents a significant step forward in our development of possible future defence capabilities and showcases British engineering excellence.
“The laser has been developed through a collaboration between the MOD’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) — known as Team Hersa — and an industry consortium led by Raytheon UK.
This delivers on the Government’s Plan for change, by rapidly advancing technologies and building on the strong foundation of national security.”...
More comprehensive digital transformation could improve both the quality and efficiency of public services. To achieve this, the government needs to update its cloud policy and take a holistic approach that looks beyond procurement, writes Chris Hazell from techUK
Since its launch in 2013, the Cloud First Policy has been a flagship technology initiative for government and significant progress has been made towards digital transformation of the public sector, with the help of procurement frameworks such as G-Cloud and joint ventures like Crown Hosting.
However, older legacy IT remains a source of inefficiency across the public sector and more comprehensive digital transformation
could deliver more innovative public services and better outcomes for citizens. To achieve this, the government needs to update its cloud policy and take a holistic approach that looks beyond procurement to how a truly modern data-driven civil service should operate.
Amidst a challenging fiscal environment, the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget included a two per cent productivity, efficiency and savings target for government departments, with E
F technology expected to do much of the heavy lifting in bridging the gap between cutting costs and improving public services. Consequently, the Spending Review in early 2025 will have a key focus on accelerating “digital adoption in the public sector by addressing legacy IT and utilising cloud services and data sharing.” This is the right ambition.
Digital transformation would be more effective if the business case was built on modernisation of people and process, beyond simply infrastructure procurement
Digital transformation does offer many opportunities for innovation, and a thriving ecosystem of tools and services has emerged in recent years to help organisations leverage cloud computing, data analytics and AI to work in more agile, dynamic and efficient ways. Harnessing these capabilities successfully will be crucial for the public sector if it is to improve both the quality and efficiency of public services.
So, with technology expected to play a key role in the Spending Review, what is missing from the Cloud First Policy?
Digital transformation is about more than procurement
Building an organisational culture of innovative and agile working practices is a key pillar of successful cloud modernisation.
A streamlined and effective procurement system is essential to accelerating digital transformation, but the public sector would also benefit from thinking about digital transformation as a process of workforce development and outcome-driven reform. Getting maximum value from cloud computing, in terms of both efficiency savings and
delivering better outcomes, requires a shift in culture and working practices that empowers the civil service with new tools and a more agile and data-driven approach to service delivery.
This means both redoubling efforts to build skills and digital awareness and taking a holistic view of how the organisation is using technology and adapting processes to the opportunities offered by cloud services and emerging technologies like AI.
In short, digital transformation would be more effective if the business case was built on modernisation of people and process, beyond simply infrastructure procurement. To use cloud effectively, the public sector needs both data-driven tools and a data-driven culture.
The Cloud First Policy, and its associated guidance, contain no mention of sustainability or energy-efficiency, despite sustainable growth being a clearly expressed priority for every government since the policy was launched. techUK would like to see this revised to include sustainability in the list of “Government Cloud Principles”.
An update to the policy would benefit from promoting GreenOps practices by building on the FinOps discipline to put resource efficiency at the core of every government department’s cloud strategy. This should include a focus on tackling the dark data challenge within government by revising and monitoring data management policies to minimise the storage E
F of unused data in cloud environments, an adoption of green software principles and the modernisation of legacy software. Including sustainability as a key metric for public sector cloud modernisation would not only help mitigate the impact of digital transformation on net-zero, but save money in the long-term by taking a leaner, more efficient approach to public sector IT.
It is well established that a “lift and shift” approach to cloud adoption that simply re-hosts your legacy applications and data on cloud infrastructure is unlikely to result in significant efficiency gains or innovative new approaches to service delivery. This is acknowledged in the Cloud First Policy, which encourages organisations to consider application modernisation and cloud native solutions such as containerisation, microservices and serverless computing. Unfortunately, once an organisation has moved to cloud and an initial procurement exercise has completed, it can be tempting to think “job done” and lose sight of the need for a culture of continuous modernisation even within cloud environments.
This is a fast-moving area of technology development and many public sector organisations that were early adopters of cloud may already be behind the curve of adopting the latest tools and best practice.
A revised cloud policy would benefit from new guidance for public sector organisations considering how to leverage cloud-native approaches to improve efficiency, resilience and the delivery of public services. As departments review their use of technology for the Spending Review, a key consideration should be where existing use of cloud can
be modernised and where processes can be streamlined with a cloud-native approach.
Both the National Data Strategy and the Data Sharing Governance Framework produced under the last government recognised the need for better data sharing to deliver public services and improve outcomes for businesses and people. This was reiterated in the announcement of Spending Review 2025. However, the current cloud first policy is still focused on procurement silos and not improving interoperability and data portability between departments and across the wider public sector. Cross-functional collaboration to deliver efficiency savings and cut costs is obviously a good thing, providing it does not compromise service delivery, but the focus should be on outcomes for citizens.
An update to the cloud policy should include a review of the technical challenges for data sharing, identify non-technical barriers across the public sector, and suggest strategies for how successful cloud modernisation can facilitate smarter use of data not just within departments but on a cross-government basis.
It has been more than a decade since the cloud first policy was developed, and
while it was reviewed in 2019 and declared “here to stay”, it should be updated to reflect a more outcome-driven approach to government that sees digital transformation primarily as a means to empower civil servants and reform outdated processes.
While good procurement guidance is essential to deliver value for money to the taxpayer, the government’s flagship cloud policy should be oriented first and foremost towards modernising services and achieving better outcomes. This means a clear focus on people, processes, and outcome-driven use of data across the public sector.
The creation of a new hub in DSIT, bringing together GDS, CDDO and the Incubator for AI to “drive forward the digital changes needed to overhaul the British public’s experience of interacting with the government” could be positive step in this direction and a review of the cloud policy should be on their to do list.
As we look towards 2025 and the Spending Review, techUK will be working with our industry members to think about how this can be achieved. If you are interested in that work, please get in touch
Getech explores the power of AI tools such as Google’s Gemini to boost productivity and improve decision-making for frontline workers
AI doesn’t have to mean investing billions in developing revolutionary new platforms –there are tools available right now that can be leveraged to enhance workflows for public sector staff on the frontline. Local council officers inundated with planning applications, social workers swamped with diverse, qualitative data that can’t easily be crunched by ‘big data’, police officers investigating crimes and policy analysts researching lengthy documents can all realise the benefits of Gemini to improve outcomes for citizens today.
Enhancing productivity and efficiency
Email is an essential part of communication, but it can often amount to busy work.
Integrated with Gmail, Gemini for Google Workspace can swiftly summarise long email chains and draft replies while, in Docs, you can generate reports and create or rewrite content. Automating these routine tasks creates space for staff to focus on more complex actions that can better drive communities forward.
AI can be used to accelerate research and information gathering by providing every worker with their own personal data analyst. Gemini’s ability to analyse vast amounts of data from different sources and provide concise summaries enables quicker access to the information needed to support more effective decision-making. NotebookLM helps workers to organise their data sources in one place, allowing them to select the points of reference used to garner insights that can support them in their roles.
During busy team calls or important meetings where minutes must be recorded, Gemini in Google Meet can free someone up from taking notes by automatically providing a summary that can be shared and managed in Google Drive in accordance with your organisation’s data retention policies.
Frontline workers regularly struggle with a deluge of data collected in any variety of formats. Handwritten notes, forms, transcripts and reports can be deciphered, searched, organised and recalled, then linked in relevant documents to promote comprehensive and efficient case management that supports a holistic view of situations over time.
Those pooled resources can then be analysed directly with Gemini to summarise key details and highlight patterns or inconsistencies that might aid an investigation – work that requires significant time and attention, both of which are in short supply under ever-mounting workloads. By aggregating disparate data and offering insights, AI can equip workers to make well-informed decisions about a case in a timely manner, drawing on all the proof points collected in one place, whatever format they’re in.
Embracing the power of AI doesn’t mean replacing humans, but augmenting their toolset to unlock their potential, boost productivity, improve efficiency and ultimately, deliver better outcomes for citizens. If you are interested in understanding how to put Gemini or ChromeOS to use in your function, Getech’s team of Google experts are available to prepare you for the paradigm shift in public sector workflows.
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has launched the latest iteration of its G-Cloud agreement, continuing to allow businesses of all sizes to supply cloud computing services to the public sector
CCS, the UK’s largest public procurement organisation, has been managing and updating the G-Cloud framework for over a decade. This iteration, known as G-Cloud 14, was officially launched for the public sector to use on 9 November 2024 to replace the expiring G-Cloud 13.
Over 4,000 suppliers have been awarded a place on G-Cloud 14 to provide tens of thousands of cloud hosting, cloud software and additional support services.
The main benefits of G-Cloud for customers
G-Cloud was first launched by CCS in 2012, with the aim of providing a straightforward and compliant route to market for public sector organisations to access off-the-shelf, commodity-based cloud computing services.
The agreement encourages public sector organisations to evaluate and pursue cloudbased services, which are less costly than on-premises alternatives. E
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F The framework aims to provide a transparent, competitive marketplace to allow public sector customers to buy these cloud services while making the procurement process as straightforward as possible.
This aim for simplicity is why there is no OJEU, Invitation to Tender (ITT), Request for price (RFP), request for quote (RFQ), request for information (RFI) or negotiation involved in the buying process through much of G-Cloud’s service offering.
Since its inception, the G-Cloud framework has secured over £2.3 billion of commercial benefits for public sector organisations, representing significant savings for the public purse.
In this time, thousands of suppliers have been awarded onto the different iterations to provide a wide range of cloud services. Additionally, the majority of these have been small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), making G-Cloud a key pillar in CCS’s commitment to create more opportunities for SMEs to win business in the public sector.
Seth Finegan, UK CEO of Informed Solutions which has been named as a supplier on G-Cloud 14, said: “As a scaling data science, AI, and digital technology provider the value of G-Cloud as an effective marketplace has been substantial.
“Through G-Cloud we’ve been presented with opportunities to bid for and win nationally significant digital transformation contracts for essential cloud-based services that are used by millions of people every day in an increasingly connected and converged world.” E
Larsen Consultancy helps law enforcement, central and local government to achieve efficiency savings through sustainable models designed to foster continuous improvement. In this article, David Larsen delves into the concept of continuous improvement and highlights why investing in your organisation’s future is essential.
In today’s fast-paced world, organisations whether in the public or private sector are constantly facing change, new challenges, and the pressure to stay ahead. The ability to embrace continuous improvement (CI) is no longer optional; it’s crucial for staying relevant and thriving. Organisations aiming to improve service delivery, streamline operations, and encourage innovation will find that adopting a robust CI strategy is the key to excelling rather than just getting by.
With a range of definitions, interpretations and methodologies, including Lean Six Sigma, we see CI as an ongoing process focused on enhancing performance and optimising practices within organisations. It involves a commitment to ongoing growth and innovation, fostering a mindset that embraces change and learns from mistakes. Through continuous improvement, we strive for excellence by systematically identifying areas for improvement and implementing small, incremental changes. These include reducing waste, removing inefficiencies, and improving working relationships.
At the heart of this transformation is building a culture where continuous improvement becomes part of the organisation’s DNA. It’s about empowering everyone - from leadership to frontline staff - to contribute to positive change. By combining proven methodologies with cross -team collaboration, organisations can achieve more than incremental tweaks they can create meaningful, lasting changes that drive efficiency, reduce waste, and ultimately deliver greater value to those they serve.
Every organisation encounters its own set of challenges, but there are common indicators that continuous improvement might be the solution you're looking for:
▪ Outdated Processes e.g. struggling with time-consuming workflows, delays, or lack of consistency in tasks
▪ Customer Complaints e.g. stakeholder dissatisfaction/frustration with service
▪ Cost Pressures e.g. inability to achieve goals within your existing budget
▪ Overlooked opportunities e.g. where daily routines take precedence over fostering innovative choices
▪ Disconnected teams e.g. siloed working or inefficient collaboration across teams
At Larsen, we believe in providing bespoke solutions rather than one-size-fits-all approaches. We collaborate closely with our clients to create customised strategies that effectively address their unique challenges.
At Larsen we understand your challenges through team engagement, stakeholder workshops & process mapping. We build capability providing tailored support to drive meaningful change. We standardise & streamline processes to create scalable frameworks. We drive collaboration as a gateway to innovation and we measure success to track progress and refine strategies, ensuring improvements are enduring. These are our five steps to supporting a high performing, sustainable culture.
CI drives organisations toward greater efficiency. It streamlines operations, reduces waste and optimises resources. It enhances product and service quality, helps identify costsaving opportunities and promotes faster decision-making through data-driven insights. It fosters employee engagement cultivating a culture of innovation to help organisations be both relevant and adaptable. CI strengthens sustainability, encourages cross-functional collaboration, and proactively manages risks, positioning organisations for long-term success and increased organisational resilience.
As a scaling data science, AI, and digital technology provider the value of G-Cloud as an effective marketplace has been substantial
F For G-Cloud 14, SMEs make up 90 per cent of the awarded suppliers, with 70 per cent of the total suppliers being classified as micro and small organisations. Around 38 per cent of the spend from public sector customers through G-Cloud 13 was through SME suppliers.
The framework has been regularly re-procured over the course of its lifetime, maintaining a focus on innovation and allowing the addition of new and emerging technologies and suppliers to the framework between iterations. Another of the key benefits of the G-Cloud framework is the transparency it provides to public sector organisations, with the catalogue showcasing
suppliers’ full service information, including service definitions, pricing and the suppliers’ terms and conditions. This gives buyers the full picture of the services available to them, allowing them to make informed decisions about the services they buy and maximise the value they achieve from their procurement.
The G-Cloud framework aspires to make it easier for public sector bodies to procure cloud services that are ready to implement without the need for further development.
Lots 1-3 of G-Cloud 14 allow for direct awards on off-the-shelf, commoditybased services:
Lot 1: Cloud Hosting - Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS): cloud platform or infrastructure, which allows buyers to deploy, manage and run software, and provision and use processing, storage or networking resources. E
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F Lot 2: Cloud Software - Software as a Service (SaaS): applications which are accessed over the internet and hosted in the cloud Lot 3: Cloud Support: services to help buyers set up and maintain their cloud software or hosting including: cloud migration planning; set up and migration; security services; quality assurance and performance testing; training; ongoing support.
A fourth Lot was introduced for the first time for G-Cloud 13, and remains in place for G-Cloud 14. This Lot covers the same scope as Lot 3 but requires buyers to run their own further competitions across the range of services. This Lot is primarily used for larger, more complex procurements, although there is no minimum spend requirement to use this Lot.
G-Cloud 14 will run for a fixed term of 18 months, after which it is expected to be
replaced by G-Cloud 15. Development on this next iteration of the framework is already underway.
However, buyers using G-Cloud 14 are able to specify call-off contracts for a period of up to 36 months, with one optional extension period of up to 12 months if required, allowing greater freedom for buyers to ensure they can access the best solution for their needs.
An important change to the supplier application process for G-Cloud 14 has seen the introduction of economic and financial standing assessments of prospective suppliers to the selection process for Lots 1-3 for the first time. Prospective suppliers to these Lots were required to meet a Bronze Plus assessment as part of the application process.
Aligning with the government’s Sourcing Playbook, this additional assessment provides E
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in the technology leads or solution architects of public sector organisations. Additionally, the introduction of off-payroll working rules has limited access to experienced contractors. This is where we come in. As a small-scale provider, we offer services in solution design, architecture, and engineering, filling critical gaps in the market.
We have assisted a large public sector organisation in the UK in delivering major Government-to-Citizen (G2C) APIs. We helped the organisation select, adopt, and implement a leading API management
middleware solution, while also developing the necessary integrations to expose backend services via APIs. We also helped the organisation monitor usage, enforce service-level agreements (SLAs), and gain insights into consumption patterns. These capabilities not only support current operations but also allow for infrastructure modernisation, cost optimisation, and proactive planning for the future. M
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F customers with even greater assurance over the financial stability of awarded suppliers.
Financial assessment has already been a requirement in the selection process for Lot 4 suppliers in previous iterations of the agreement, who undertake a gold level Financial Viability and Risk Assessment as part of the bid response for this Lot.
The pay-as-you-go solutions available through G-Cloud allow buyers to find scalable solutions that give them greater control over what they procure. Public sector organisations can simply pay for the services they actually use, and can easily increase or reduce the number of services they pay for.
How can public sector organisations access G-Cloud 14?
Lots 1-3 of G-Cloud 14 are accessible via the Contract Award Service (CAS) buying tool. Customers looking to buy through these Lots will need to register through the Public Procurement Gateway (PPG).
Lot 4 is currently accessible through CCS’s eSourcing platform, or customers can use their own platforms to manage their further competition process. Customers using CCS’s platform can register for an account to use it now.
To find out more about G-Cloud 14, buyers can visit the agreement page or sign up to one of CCS’s monthly customer webinars. These webinars cover how to register to use G-Cloud 14 and give an overview of the buying process. Contracting authorities can also get in touch with CCS directly if they have any further questions about G-Cloud and the buying process.
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.crowncommercial.gov.uk
Robbie Trower, public sector sales specialist at Kodak Alaris, explores how digital data can help the public sector deliver superior services at lower costs, improve the citizen experience, and optimise core operations
The government’s Transforming for a Digital Future, the 2022 to 2025 Roadmap for Digital and Data, sets out its vision for a transformed, more efficient digital government that provides better outcomes for everyone.
Information is the lifeblood of any organisation and the public sector is no different. Digital data powers successful digital transformation, and while the public sector has a growing imperative to digitise and modernise, not all departments and agencies are advancing at the same pace.
Outdated IT infrastructure is hindering progress in implementing digital services and enabling access to data from multiple sources – across different local authorities, departments and central agencies. There is also slow adoption of technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, which help dramatically improve overall performance through data-driven insights and automated processes.
The digital age is upon us and the public sector needs to get smarter about data.
Getting rid of paper is one of the easiest ways to improve the citizen experience, optimise core processes and realise better efficiencies. The sooner information gets captured, the faster that data becomes actionable.
Speeding up processes by removing time-consuming barriers pays dividends. Wellarchitected workflows for form recognition, information extraction and quality assurance, remove common bottlenecks to success.
Digitisation decreases processing time, avoids duplication and saves money by eliminating the requirement for manual re-typing and storing of data. Automated workflows to rapidly manage data, alongside reliable exception handling capabilities will free up time for employees to focus on core job functions and ensure time-critical documents move at the speed of business.
Government bodies are, by their nature, heavily regulated, and need to follow clearlydefined processes and rules for handling and storing documents.
Throughout the document lifecycle, information needs to meet compliance requirements and retention policies. Regulations require process adjustments, additional validation and documentation, which makes compliance a moving target and one that is particularly hard to accomplish in a paper-based environment. The more an individual’s personal data remains in analogous form such as paper, the more risk they are exposed to as that paper moves around the organisation.
Digitising paper-based information delivers greater control, increases the security of that information, and ensures conformance with regulatory requirements. Capturing personal data at the point of origin and then dealing with the digital data once it’s inside the information management system reduces risk by enabling additional layers of security such as encryption or access control measures to be applied.
Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) takes automation to the next level. By combining Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI, and Large Language Models (LLMs), IDP significantly improves document processing.
Automated document workflows that leverage IDP solutions to handle routine tasks such as document routing, archiving and indexing, address the challenge of managing and extracting insights from unstructured data across disparate systems and dramatically improve the speed and quality of insights available - way beyond the capabilities of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and text extraction.
KODAK Info Input Solution is an IDP platform that’s built around Kodak Alaris’ unique Open Intelligence™ design, in which pre-built models that understand documents are immediately deployed within a workflow process. The advanced IDP solution provides low-code and no-code configurations that require minimal training and deliver short time-to-value.
Info Input Solution integrates with industryleading AI platforms like those offered by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon to deliver
remarkable accuracy and make it significantly easier to extract data in a fully automated way using machine learning. Organisations can also leverage the power of GenAI to better understand the information that is being processed and automate complex document processing tasks with improved efficiency and accuracy.
The benefits of easily accessible digital data within government are far-reaching. By reducing the time spent on the management of paper and leveraging digital-first workflows and digital data, the public sector can operate more efficiently and productively, deliver superior services at lower costs, empower employees to work on more critical tasks, improve the citizen experience, and optimise core operations. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
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We explore what is being done to digitally empower public sector organisations, whether by training staff or improving online accessibility
Creating a digitally empowered public sector emerged as a priority for the new government in the Autumn Budget.
While Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ first Budget raised taxes by £40 billion while increasing capital investment by £100 billion over five years, she also reiterated the importance of digital transformation in improving public sector efficiency.
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which is responsible for both delivering key tech policies and digitally
overhauling Whitehall, will see a 6.5 per cent average increase in its spending over three years.
The Labour government announced a £22 billion ‘black hole’ in public finances, meaning a need to balance cost saving with efficiency.
A possible answer to this is by speeding up public services through digitalisation.
One sector that has received recent attention in terms of funding to turn more of their services digital is local government. E
70% of projects have failed to meet expectations, partially or completely, over the last 40 years, with no shift in this statistic. Finally though, help is at hand!
I kicked off my “70% Fail To 70+% Succeed!” initiative at DigiGov Expo ’24 in September and Government Transformation Week in November based on the results of a 30-year research and development programme I’ve run. The results are called Business Value Maximisation Framework (BVMF®) that comprises 100 models, 500 techniques and all-important skillset definitions for the modern role of the polyglot/polymathic Business Value Maximisation Specialist (BVMS).
Here is a short video with key points on how BVMF® works and why it’s holistically, specifically, powerfully different, very different.
We look forward to speaking with you, any time, any way; you say, we’ll be there.
David P Jacobs BSc, MBCS, BVMS CEO 07799 036652
DavidJ@Maximum-Value.co.uk
You could go straight to our website and work down the Latest News feed on the home page where you will find links to videos, articles, webinar recordings, a podcast and much more besides, at: www.Maximum-Value.co.uk
Pip Randall-Nason BA Client Support Manager 07834 638373
PhilippaN@Maximum-Value.co.uk
F The Local Government Association (LGA) recently launched a new digitalisation framework , which aims to drive up efficiency, improve public services and connect residents.
The new LGA framework is designed to support councils in
using the latest digital technology to
help solve some of the biggest challenges facing their communities
Building on the LGA’s Local Government White Paper priority for driving change through innovation and freedom from bureaucracy, the new framework is designed to support councils in using the latest digital technology to help solve some of the biggest challenges facing their communities.
The framework comprises of three missions, six common enablers and six good practice principles, with the aim of using insights and learning from the sector to develop a shared language and approach.
One of the missions is to create digitallyenabled councils that utilise digital technology and data to transform the ways they deliver for residents. E
F Another is to make sure residents can thrive through digital skills, tools and opportunities (more on this later).
The framework also seeks to digitallyequip places that are underpinned by secure and sustainable digital connectivity and infrastructure.
The Framework’s six enablers are data, connectivity, leadership, capabilities, collaboration and value. Together they offer a roadmap for navigating the complexities of a digital age. Its six good practice principles are democratic, ethical, inclusive, sustainable, cyber resilient and user-centric. Together they offer a holistic approach to adapting and transforming through the use of digital technology.
Cllr Alex Coley, deputy chair of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said: “Councils are constantly innovating to develop new solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing residents and their communities, but too often these face hurdles or extra costs.
“The digital transformation of an entire sector is a collective endeavour which relies on a shared vision, an inclusive approach and commitment to innovation.
One of the missions from the framework is to create digitally-enabled councils that utilise digital technology and data to transform the ways they deliver for residents
“The LGA’s framework for securing the digital future of local government sets a clear direction for a long and complex journey. We know the rewards of digitalisation can be immense but depend on the sector’s ability to shape its own destiny and navigate the digital landscape as an active participant.”
Cllr Alex Coley added: “These missions are a declaration of intent and a tangible commitment to taking bold collective action on digitalisation to deliver services more efficiently, engage more effectively and create thriving communities wellequipped for the 21st century.”
Getting online and using digital services may feel like second nature to many people,
but across the UK, 12.6 million adults lack basic digital skills and 5.8 million people have never used the internet.
Digital literacy is becoming more and more essential for people to access healthcare, book appointments, keep connected, manage finances, and conduct other vital daily tasks.
Rural communities are most commonly affected by this issue. However, there are schemes looking to help everyone get online.
One example is a new digital champions scheme launched in October to expand support for people to use digital technology in rural Northumberland.
It was announced that digital champions would get full training and support to carry out the role and become part of a network of volunteers promoting digital inclusion. They would be based in village halls and other community spaces across rural parts of the county, offering drop-in support onsite and partnering with local businesses and community groups to reach more people who need support.
Councillor Wojciech Ploszaj, cabinet member for corporate services at Northumberland County Council said:
“Digital transformation should benefit everyone in Northumberland, and we know some residents will need more support to make use of improved connectivity.”
In the NHS, Digital Champions programme toolkits have been created to support local ownership of digital skills learning and further skills development.
In 2022, there were more than seven million new sign-ups to the NHS App which highlights the increasing reliance of technology to access healthcare.
Digital Champions is a free CPD-accredited 12 month education programme for primary care staff who want to inspire others to embrace digital technology.
It gives all NHS primary care staff the opportunity to become digital champions within their organisation.
They share knowledge, influence and encourage both staff and patients to try digital options to access care.
Initiatives such as these are helping to achieve a digitally-enabled public sector, as well as tech-savvy citizens.
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.local.gov.uk
UK Justice Agency Forecasts £107 Million+ in Savings by Retiring 12 Legacy Applications
Archive360’s Unified Data Governance platform is helping a UK Justice Agency save £107 Million+ by retiring 12 legacy applications.
Download the case study and see how we can help your organisation reduce costs, enable modernisation and make your data ready for AI.
https://www.archive360.com/case-study-lp-highly-ranked-justice-agency-forecasts-over-135-million-in-savings
The COVID pandemic did not only disrupt how the justice system operated, creating a significant case backlog that included 62,000 cases for Criminal Courts alone, it also showed the agency how digital technology can improve service delivery for all stakeholders
In 2022, the agency developed a digital strategy to focus on user needs, rather than adapting to complex, outdated systems. The strategy treats data as an asset for better decision-making and ensures efficient data management across services in a rapidly changing environment.
One major challenge was the widespread use of costly, outdated legacy technology that no longer aligned with their goals. Many systems had been replaced but were still active due to data retention requirements.
That year, the agency hired Through Technology to develop a legacy technology strategy and manage their archiving and records. They identified twelve legacy applications to retire, to avoid costly contract extensions. This included a digital audio
recording system, storing 600 of the 700 terabytes to be archived.
Through Technology chose Archive360’s Unified Data Governance platform for its robust data management capabilities — particularly its approach to collecting, classifying, and storing data.
With support from Through Technology and Archive360, the agency is on track to archive over 253 million objects and 700TB of data and retire 12 legacy applications before their hosting contracts renew. This is expected to save over £107 million in operational costs over 10 years excluding additional maintenance savings.
Together, the agency, Through Technology, and Archive360 continue to modernise systems by organising data from legacy and operational systems based on long-term needs, apply correct retention and governance rules, and archive it to Archive360’s cloud-native platform. The agency can now retire legacy systems and manage critical and inactive data more securely, efficiently, and cost-effectively. This allows users to gain easier insights and value from the archived data. M
Quantum safe communication, entangled photon communication
Data Security Innovation
Secured identity offline/online secured ID
FR3125658 , US11843419B2, FR3125659B1, FR3125658A1, EP4374511A1
FR3104357B1, US20200351100A1, FR3092923B1, US11914754B2, FR3140457A1, US20240111717A1, US11956367B2, Certified Indoor GPS: FR31120130
Offline transactions
FR3125658 , US11843419B2, FR3125659B1, FR3125658A1, EP4374511A1
FR3120130A1, US12066558B2
Fast secure data links, entangled photon communication
FR3125658 , US11843419B2, FR3125659B1, FR3125658A1, EP4374511A1
Quantum safe secure internet random hash
FR3080934B1, US10643198B2, CN110443595B
Secured identity, random hash
US20200351100A1, FR3092923B1, US11914754B2, FR3140457A1, US20240111717A1, US11956367B2. Certified Indoor GPS: FR3120130A1, US12066558B2
US20200351100A1, FR3092923B1, US11914754B2, FR3140457A1, US20240111717A1, US11956367B2
Keypad protection from eyesight, controlled display
FR3111452A1, US12093437B2
On-chip keycodes automated erasure, key protection
FR3122749B1
DigiGov Expo 2024, which took place on 24-25 September at the ExCeL London, provided a unique opportunity for public sector technology professionals to hear from industry-leading speakers, attend CPDcertified content and meet pioneering solution providers
DigiGov Expo 2024 connected delegates with fellow technology professionals to discover new organisations and explore some of the biggest issues and emerging trends that will shape the future of the public sector.
The event pulled together industry speakers to address the challenges and opportunities in transforming government services, enabling public sector organisations and departments to harness the power of technology to deliver efficient, citizen-centric services.
This year, DigiGov was co-located with Government ICT, Digital Government, GovTech and the Cyber Security & Data Protection Summit, to give delegates access to even more content in their areas of interest.
The Rt Hon Peter Kyle MP, secretary of state for innovation and technology at the government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), presented a video-streamed opening keynote, discussing the UK’s technology ecosystem and how it can continue to flourish.
Victoria Cope, commercial director for Defence Digital at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), spoke about the MoD’s digital ambitions, including its mission to enhance military advantage by equipping defence operations with innovative digital capabilities, and to reform the MoD’s procurement.
Nathan Pierce, chief digital and innovation officer at Haringey Council discussed the council’s rapid digital transformation, including covering the challenges that the council faces, and how it aims to get from just seven per cent of interactions online to most interactions online over the next two years. Nathan discussed how to approach setting up a new digital transformation team and how they put in place governance and long-term planning.
Rikesh Shah, head of innovation at the Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC), part of Connected Places Catapult, discussed using procurement to bring in innovation and create new organisational value. Rikesh discussed E
The event pulled together industry professionals and suppliers to address the challenges and opportunities in transforming government services
F the financial challenges that councils face and how achieving value has never been so important. The session covered innovation and how to overcome a risk adverse culture when it comes to technological changes.
In the GovICT theatre, Rich Corbridge, chief digital and information officer at DWP Digital, spoke about the department’s strategy, setting out the future of its digital transformation journey. Rich shared the plan to continue innovating and utilising technology to enhance services, improve user experience, and increase efficiency and accessibility. The strategy enables DWP Digital to be well positioned to realise the potential of data, providing the insight to refine and join up customer journeys including collaboration across government.
The Citizen Experience Theatre hosted a session from Christine Bellamy, chief executive officer at the Government Digital Service (GDS), who spoke about the next generation of government digital services, including the GOV.UK app, as well as future work.
As well as hearing the latest from these industry leading figures, delegates were able to see and experience the innovative products and services from exhibitors to enable a tech-powered public sector.
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.digital-government.co.uk
Carrousel Digital is specialised in data security and data transmission innovation. In the same vein, Marbeuf Conseil et Recherche is specialised in green energy innovation. They together provide new schemes and designs ready to be licensed for startups
These schemes are patented and show new and additional answers to existing issues such as: safe data transmission over free space and optical fibres using entangled photons; quantum safe easy to implement signatures using One Time Keys i.e. small keys that are used only once; One Time Keys renewal over the internet for peer-to-peer communication; procedure for blurring a screen when a camera or an extra pair of eyes approaches the screen view sight; electronic circuit erasing stored keys upon uncontrolled firmware update; geolocation using fixed antennas and therefore penetrating indoors and covering vast areas of land; and offline payment security enabling e-cash payments to be made offline, via an app, or via a standalone small device.
All these new capabilities allow extra digital security in the fight against data-theft, unwanted control of remotely controlled devices such as cameras, public displays or energy distribution infrastructure. They also provide an alternative to existing infrastructure for better resilience, especially against GPS failure and internet failure that could affect payments. Finally one of them could allow websites to request geolocation of their users, even those located indoors.
These schemes can be consulted on www.carrouselcapital.com and have been issued patent numbers.
On the energy side, we have applied for a number of patents. We have one scheme that allows the recycling of high temperature heat expelled by SOFC fuel cells that consume hydrogen, and where the heat is used in lesser temperature endothermic reactions to regenerate hydrogen, allowing for a full use of the energy contained in hydrogen, and even a net generation of energy by using heat pumps to raise the temperature of external heat to those endothermic hydrogen generating reactions. For this, we were issued patent FR3125659B1 and would like to promote the scheme so a prototype can be realised. M
https://carrouseldigital.com
Government Technology examines how artificial intelligence is being integrated into various public sector organisations
The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) recently announced it plans to expand in both scope and size, bringing in experts in data, digital and artificial intelligence (AI).
DSIT said this will unite efforts in the digital transformation of public services under one department.
The move is planned to drive forward the digital changes needed to overhaul the British public’s experience of interacting with the government, so it becomes personalised,
convenient, and timesaving – for example, by providing people with just one way to login and prove who they are so they can quickly access the government services they need.
It will also help remove roadblocks to sharing data across the public sector.
When it was announced, science secretary Peter Kyle said the government needs to lead by example in order for the UK to fully benefit from the social and economic potential of science and technology.
Kyle added: “DSIT is to become the centre for digital expertise and delivery in government, improving how the government and public services interact with citizens.”
“We will act as a leader and partner across government, with industry and the research communities, to boost Britain’s economic performance and power up our public services to improve the lives and life chances of people through the application of science and technology.”
This marks a massive shift towards digital investment and innovation, especially in terms of AI.
What action plans are in place?
In July, science secretary Peter Kyle appointed tech entrepreneur and chair of Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), Matt Clifford to lead work to discover untapped AI opportunities.
As well as exploring how to build a UK AI sector that can scale and compete on the global stage, the plan will also set out how to boost take up of the technology across all parts of the economy, and consider the necessary infrastructure, talent, and
Artificial intelligence could benefit the tasks that public servants in user-facing roles currently spend hours managing
data access required to drive adoption by the public and private sectors.
Almost 100 projects have been awarded financial backing as the government continues its mission to boost productivity and kickstart growth across the economy through AI so everyone is better off.
A total of 98 projects will receive the funding, involving more than 200 businesses and research organisations spanning a range of sectors including public services, driving efficiencies and reducing administrative tasks.
Minister for digital government and AI Feryal Clark said: “AI will deliver real change for working people across the UK – not only growing our economy but improving our public services.
“That’s why our support for initiatives like this will be so crucial – backing a range of projects which could reduce train delays, give us new ways of maintaining our vital infrastructure, and improve experiences for patients by making it easier to get their prescriptions to them.
“We want technology to boost growth and deliver change right across the board, and I’m confident projects like these will help us realise that ambition.”
One of the projects to receive funding is V-Lab Ltd, which has been given £165,006 to further develop software powered by AI to help people train in the construction sector.
Responding to the Chancellor’s recent Autumn Budget, techUK CEO Julian David said: “To help businesses have the confidence to invest against this background of increased costs, the government must act fast and bring forward its plans for AI opportunities and the detail of the Industrial Strategy.”
Matt Clifford said: “AI presents us with so many opportunities to grow the economy and improve people’s lives.
“The UK is leading the way in many areas, but we can do even better.”
One of the public sector areas to receive a lot of focus in terms of implementing AI is healthcare. E
F AI can often be viewed through a lens of fear as there are worries it will take jobs away from people. However, the technology is already being implemented into the NHS and helping to improve productivity.
AI is being piloted in healthcare for tasks such as faster and more accurate diagnosis, a reduction of errors caused by human fatigue, assisting with or automate repetitive tasks, and decreasing costs.
In October this year, The AI Commission for Health and Social Care endorsed the AI and Digital Regulations Service (AIDRS) in Wales. It aims to help prospective adopters and developers of AI navigate emerging technologies in health and social care. AIDRS has been jointly developed by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the Health Research Authority (HRA), and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Additions such as this encourage further incorporation of AI to help its NHS staff and patients.
The AI Commission will cooperate with NHS England and UK partners to support AIDRS in meeting the needs of service users in Wales.
While AI promises exciting developments in healthcare, concerns have been raised about who controls the data that is used for AI systems, and privacy issues of personal information.
In August 2024, the government announced a new project that will enhance artificial intelligence’s ability to assist teachers in marking work and planning lessons.
The project, backed by £4 million of investment, will pool government documents including curriculum guidance, lesson plans and anonymised pupil assessments which will then be used by AI companies to train their tools so they generate accurate lesson plans and workbooks, that can be reliably used in schools.
The content store is targeted at technology companies specialising in education to build tools which will help teachers mark work, create teaching materials for use in the classroom and assist with routine school admin.
Science secretary Peter Kyle said: “We know teachers work tirelessly to go above and beyond for their students. By making AI work for them, this project aims to ease admin burdens and help them deliver creative and inspiring lessons every day, while reducing time pressures they face.”
A recent report from the Social Market Foundation has shown that artificial intelligence and automation are ideally suited to processing large datasets, sorting information, and identifying patterns. This means it could be of benefit to many of the tasks that public servants in user-facing roles currently spend hours managing.
In particular, the research looked at savings to be made at the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority, GP trusts, HMRC and DWP.
The research found that an estimated 8.12 million hours, or more than 4,300 working years, could be saved by deflecting or streamlining caseload at the DWP and HMRC by using AI and automation procedures.
As a result, the report recommends that the DSIT acts as the centre for digital innovation in government, providing a ‘one-stop shop’ for all public sector AI and automation needs. It says that the business case process for spending on AI and automation should be streamlined, and that the DSIT should be given control of a ‘transformation fund’ that it is able to disburse to projects.
Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can drive greater efficiencies across the civil service. But there are hurdles to overcome to realise the full potential of these technologies - including technical, cultural and organisational challenges. The UK government has realised its importance and is investing in projects to create a public sector enhanced by AI.
As city populations and demands grow, administrators must make faster, smarter decisions based on more data than they’ve ever had
from video footage to optimise transit and improve public safety. And AI-infused IoT solutions can empower water utilities to reduce leakage and significantly improve the city’s environmental performance.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing a critical role in that challenge, enabling civic leaders to address many urban challenges. Yet while AI’s role in the smart city has evolved, one thing has remained constant: the need to leverage the technology to build an efficient, equitable and sustainable community for all.
AI offers solutions for operational, social and environmental challenges. Advanced algorithms can inform rollout strategies for mobility solutions, EV charging stations and new renewable-energy infrastructure. Computer vision can enable rapid learning
Whether simulating infrastructure changes to reduce risk and expense, predicting maintenance to improve critical systems’ performance, or streamlining operations for key departments, AI can generate real impact for stakeholders across the city.
With the right partner, AI can also inform how to bridge connectivity, healthcare and education gaps, empowering municipalities to improve citizens’ quality of life. Contact us today to learn how, with AI, the triple bottom line is no longer a pipe dream. M
There needs to be more investment in the right staff and skills to better prepare and respond to the inevitability of cyber attacks, urges Chris Dimitriadis, chief global strategy officer at ISACA
You don’t need a crystal ball to know that cyberattacks will only become more high profile and more frequent over the coming years. We’ve seen it in real time this year as major hacks and outages have disrupted public services, critical infrastructure, and business alike. Where cyberattacks are concerned, it’s becoming a matter of when they will happen - not if they will happen. At ISACA, our latest State of Cybersecurity report revealed that 70 per cent of respondents – cybersecurity professionals – said they are experiencing more or the same level of cybersecurity attacks
compared to a year ago. Fifty-eight per cent agree that it is likely that their organisation will experience a cyberattack in the next year, which has increased from 52 per cent in 2023. That the situation is worsening points to the fact that there needs to be more investment in the right staff and skills to better prepare and respond to such attacks when they happen.
Cybersecurity teams are stressed and underfunded Despite this growing problem, the lack of funding and investment in cyber teams is only
exacerbating the issue. In our research, 90 per cent of respondents reported that they feel their organisation’s cybersecurity budget is currently somewhat or significantly underfunded - and a further 61 per cent feel their organisation’s cybersecurity team is understaffed.
As a result, cyber professionals are not sufficiently prepared to carry out their crucial work, working in thin teams without the necessary budget, especially as the threat landscape becomes harder to navigate. And they’re feeling the strain – in the same survey, 68 per cent of cyber professionals reported that they feel their role is more stressful now compared to five years ago, with 79 per cent of them putting this down to the increasingly complex threat landscape.
The lack of support, training, and investment is therefore limiting the cyber resilience of those organisations whose teams cannot work to their full potential. Many of these businesses neglect cyber teams when it comes to decision making; 47 per cent of professionals working in cyber said they were not involved in the development, onboarding, or implementation of AI solutions, and 42 per cent were not involved
in the development of a policy governing the use of AI within their organisations.
This is a critical oversight given the cyber risk implications of new and emerging technologies like AI, and suggests that businesses are failing to prioritise cyber resilience when making these decisions.
In essence, cyber teams which are understaffed and underfunded work in a more reactive than proactive way, firefighting as threats emerge rather than preventing them in the first place. This leaves professionals stressed, worried, and overworked, and the organisation itself more vulnerable to attack.
Skills and training are a key way to support teams and drive resilience
The cybersecurity industry has a persistent skills gap – the shortage of cybersecurity professionals in Europe ranges between 260,000 and 500,000. Indeed, our State of Cybersecurity report found that 45 per cent of respondents reported another reason they feel that their role is more stressful now than five years ago is because they are not sufficiently trained or skilled.
At a time when bad actors are only getting more sophisticated, we can’t afford to put both businesses and people at risk – a single attack on one company can have adverse effects on its entire supply chain and network. Every organisation needs trained and skilled professionals in the right roles who understand the ever-evolving nature of the threat of cyberattacks. Cyber roles are constantly evolving as new technology emerges – take, for example, the rise of AI and the web of cyber risks which have surfaced as a result. Professionals working in the industry need consistent upskilling or they risk being several steps behind bad actors.
Training and diverse hiring practices are the key to combating the skills gap and making organisations more resilient. Given the massive shortage of people in the industry, the ‘conventional route’, such as a degree in cybersecurity or years of experience, does not need to be the only way for talent to enter the industry. Businesses should encourage people who don’t necessarily have a background in security to take the leap into cyber and then train them on the job in order to widen the talent pool.
The best route into the cybersecurity sector varies based on every individual. But there are several ways to earn certifications and skills. E
F In fact, 51 per cent of cyber professionals feel that soft skills are the biggest skills gap in the industry. Of the soft skills in question, 54 per cent state that communication skills (such as speaking and listening skills) are the most important, followed by problem-solving (53 per cent) and critical thinking skills (48 per cent).
If businesses rethink their hiring strategies and prioritise candidates who demonstrate the necessary strong soft skills, enthusiasm, and a genuine interest in the sector, they can train those people as they go and support them in earning the right qualifications. Organisations therefore become more resilient to external threats and have a healthy workforce of cyber professionals who feel supported in their career development.
Cyber resilience is part of an organisation’s duty of care
Cyber resilience is so important, not only because a cyber resilient organisation can better protect itself, but because a cyber resilient organisation also protects its customers, suppliers, and everyone across its network. Supply chain resilience is a combination of a business’ level of vulnerability and its level of dependency on others in its network.
Businesses should not invest in cybersecurity as a box-ticking exercise, but as part of their duty of care to end-users, customers, and stakeholders. In order to build resilience, businesses must understand their key dependencies and where along the supply chain potential issues lie and what to do in response if things go wrong.
Driving cyber resilience starts at the very beginning of the process with the hiring practices, training opportunities, and career development of cyber professionals to plug the skills gap and help teams feel supported and skilled
In the cybersecurity industry, collaboration is key to creating secure environments and frameworks. Whatever the size of the organisation, conversations around risk need to happen with others in the network and make sure everybody is comfortable with how processes are being organised and run across the chain. Companies must talk to each other about the threats they are facing and protect each other against the big-ticket issues which can go wrong.
All in all, dealing with the growing threat of cyber attacks will require a multipronged approach from each and every organisation. Driving cyber resilience starts at the very beginning of the process with the hiring practices, training opportunities, and career development of cyber professionals to plug the skills gap and help teams feel supported and skilled.
This effort should continue through to involving these professionals in both the day-to-day decision making and the bigticket strategies like the implementation of AI solutions to ensure security is built into any new processes. Then, businesses should think about their cyber resilience holistically and collaborate with other organisations about the threats they face and how they can be overcome. By building a truly cyber resilient society, cyberattacks will still happen, but they will not be as damaging and catastrophic as those we have seen in the last few years. Rather than completely halting public infrastructure or crippling businesses and their consumer trust, organisations will be able to limit the harm of the attack and carry out a response plan which is thorough, informed, and effective.
Digital
Luminaire
Speaker
‘Connected places’ play a crucial role in addressing energy and environmental sustainability challenges, writes Yogita Popat, vice-president of Socitm and programme director of culture and sustainability for the London Borough of Barnet
In October, Socitm’s Sustainable and Innovative Places conference focused on creating communities that work for people now and in the future. Local authorities have a vital role, but we cannot do it alone. Co-chairing the event gave me the opportunity to create an agenda supported by inspirational colleagues and organisations I’m really interested in collaborating with. Earlier in 2024 Socitm published a report on how we can come together to achieve better places. It’s not just about the technology but it’s a handy place to start.
There’s much theory and policy, but practical solutions are already emerging in many areas. Connected Places play a crucial role in addressing energy and environmental sustainability challenges. Using technologies and data, we can: combat pollution for improved public health; identify opportunities for sustainable energy use in critical infrastructures; reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change impacts and ensure equitable access to open spaces. We need clean, ethical, affordable and sustainable technology practices to create E
F wider economic and social value and wellbeing.
With artificial intelligence (AI) and information, there’s potential for enhanced understanding of energy sustainability and environmental impact, but it’s a politicised area.
Local impacts of climate change underscore the importance of both national and local action. Vulnerable communities face increased costs and health impacts, necessitating assistance in transitioning to sustainable practices.
Data-driven, holistic planning informed by local characteristics can break policy impasses and foster collaboration toward sustainable outcomes.
A quick recap: net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gases (CO2 and methane) produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
Progress is still too slow to reach net zero targets without stronger global, national, and local action to protect people, communities, and industries.
Most UK public service organisations have declared a climate emergency and embraced net zero targets. However, they face pressure to dilute or delay these targets due to a downturn in global economics, a cost-of-living crisis, limited
resources, insufficient authority to act, inconclusive evidence or just capacity to change and mitigate the costs of change.
Connecting green, sustainable, and low carbon policies to justify investments, will help to secure support for change.
For national and devolved governments, these ‘connected places’ are the most challenging, requiring significant disruption to people’s lives and coordination between national and local services.
Local governments, have a coordination role with local partners, (public bodies, business, landowners, and farmers), set a lead in good practice and stimulate innovation through collaboration.
Politicians need to balance multiple interests in their communities and shortterm versus longer term policy priorities. Without this balance there is a risk to public trust that will undermine political leadership and a willingness to change. When local and national politicians are ‘in tune’ with these dynamics they can better persuade communities of required changes.
Merely discussing the dangers of climate change or net zero targets won’t convince struggling families of the need to change. Neither is it sufficient to persuade industry and agriculture to change E
F production methods in ways that could compromise profit or increase risk.
Effective uses of data to help change attitudes can include showing the value and benefits in real terms of moving to sustainable environmental and energy policies, as well as informing service design, models and methods that recognise the interests of people while taking a long-term view about scarce resources, climate change, and the dependency on energy in digital communities.
Taking all this on board, let’s look at what we are already doing.
BarNET ZERO , launched in January 2023, set out to achieve net zero carbon emissions for the borough by 2042. The campaign emerged from a transformative shift following the declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency in May 2022.
What distinguishes BarNET ZERO is its community-focused approach, which actively engages residents, businesses, and stakeholders in a shared mission to foster a sustainable future.
A pivotal aspect of the campaign is the involvement of community ambassadors and the council’s inaugural Citizens’ and Young People’s Assemblies. Empowering the public to influence local climate policies.
By April 2023, BarNET ZERO surpassed its engagement targets, achieving 150,000 video views and 13,000 web page views, with nearly 40 per cent of residents aware of the campaign. This outreach has significantly boosted Barnet’s climate score from 0 per cent to 46 per cent.
BarNET ZERO exemplifies an innovative, community-driven model for
sustainability, showcasing real stories and local solutions that resonate with the diverse needs of Barnet’s residents.
BarNET ZERO not only seeks to tackle climate challenges but also positions Barnet as a climate leader in London.
From overall strategies down to localised activity ward
Socitm’s Institute collects case studies so members don’t have to! It gives them easy access to examples of best practice, and they don’t have to start from scratch and reinvent the wheel. They can kick start their own projects with support from a network of people and places already doing it.
Greater London Authority’s climate risk maps (with Bloomberg Associates)
A series of London-wide climate risk maps has been produced to analyse climate exposure and vulnerability across Greater London.
Cornwall: responding to the climate emergency
The Doughnut Economics model has been used to respond to the complexity of the climate emergency.
University of Liverpool: digital twin for green building management
A digital twin model with energy meters and sensors to improve the energy performance of one of its buildings.
Hackney Council: connecting more people to local green space
Protecting existing local green spaces and developing new, good-quality green spaces.
Kent County Council: protecting nature through long-term planning Planning to protect and recover threatened species through habitat maintenance, restoration and creation.
Lancaster City Council: Local Plan aligned with the climate emergency
The council conducted a prompt review of its Local Plan to ensure the policies it contains will help tackle the climate crisis.
What does this all really mean?
While organisations can lead the move to net zero and a sustainable energy policy, there is a role for everyone.
Public service leadership in connected places needs to define these different interests and responsibilities and orchestrate stakeholders and communities to take on the following activities to meet net zero targets. This involves looking at what roles, actions and timescales are required to achieve net zero. It involves looking at what support is available or required from public or private sectors, and at how change can be encouraged and supported, culturally and practically.
The biggest risk is that this is all just ‘too difficult’. The apparent lower costs and lower disruption of doing nothing can be the easy option when weighed against the positive but long-term impacts of addressing sustainable environmental practices and green energy adoption.
Public sector leaders and politicians need to be bold in their vision and directions. Recognising the need for public support and trust, yet not shying away from uncomfortable actions and facing up to vested interests.
Public sector leadership in connected places must play a pivotal role in tackling environmental issues to safeguard communities and pave the way for a sustainable economic, social, and environmental future.
This leadership entails making use of a robust evidence base, utilising technology and data to monitor environmental pressures and policy impacts and promoting behavioural changes.
Key actions for public service leaders include overcoming barriers to adopting new operational models, navigating political differences without succumbing to populism or vested interests.
They need to coordinate actions across various domains such as water supply, transportation, green energy, and waste management, and foster public support while supporting business interests.
There’s also a need to counter misinformation about sustainability and green energy, setting an example through sustainable operations. Anticipating ‘tipping point’ in consumption patterns are critical aspects of leadership in this arena.
Ultimately, the transition to greener practices and lifestyles is imperative for the wellbeing of connected people and places.
Infographic: Connected Places
Briefing Net zero: How local authorities can help decarbonise their areas
Briefing: Green and sustainable IT –
Give your device a second life
Public Sector Digital Trends 2023: Green and sustainable
How do smart street lighting solutions contribute to creating safer roads?
Lighting supports a critical public service, helping make places safer at night. But as local authorities embrace digital solutions, data collection and analytics, to better manage places and services, multifunctional columns get smarter, and adapt to accommodate multiple devices and accessories. Smart. LITE by Valmont represents a cutting-edge multifunctional pole system equipped with robust hardware tailored for seamless sensor integration. Engineered to manage power distribution, data collection, and networking, our Smart.LITE accommodates a diverse array of proprietary and third-party equipment. It enables remote control of multiple light sources through its built-in DALI interface.
Depending on the choice of Smart.LITE components, it will increase safety on many levels. For instance, it may be installed at pedestrian crossings, where motion sensors will detect an approaching pedestrian and will activate flashing lights to notify the drivers that a person wants to cross the street. At the same time, it protects the pedestrians by emitting a notification sound alerting them about walking towards the verge of the street. Nowadays, headphones and smartphones detach pedestrians from the surrounding world and cause lack of concentration when it comes to joining traffic. Another example could be an application of various sensors and cameras monitoring the roads and streets to detect issues, serve as traffic counters. For example, counting cyclists may initiate plans for separate
cycle paths to reduce collisions and create safe environment for both cyclists and drivers, and also to reduce congestion.
How are smart street lighting solutions beneficial for energy efficiency and sustainability?
Smart.Lite comes with a control management system, on Valmont CityC platform, which is responsible for switching the light on/ off, dimming, scheduling of operation and preprogramming its usage. It is in line with LED energy consumption saving, as well as smart application to serve the citizens. It also reduces installation time and costs in comparison to mounting smart elements on separate columns, poles, or walls.
The opportunities that cities can seize with the installation of smart lighting solutions go far beyond value creation through energy cost and maintenance savings or the improvement of the environmental impact. In addition to saving money, cities gain enhanced capabilities and functionalities. Smart street lights can help monitor traffic flow, parking, pedestrian crossings, seismic activity, or atmospheric changes. Smart.LITE is a solution that brings numerous benefits. Not only does it help reducing energy costs with managing electricity more efficiently, but also, it provides new revenue streams for local authorities, e.g., with digital displays and their marketing capabilities. In terms of sustainability, smart infrastructure facilitates monitoring situation and implementing solutions to reduce negative impact on the environment, community, and society (such as pollution, congestion), as well as to increase positive aspects of smart applications (e.g., connectivity, access to information).
How do smart street lighting solutions fit in with smart cities and what role will they play in future urban development?
The installation of Valmont Smart.LITE can play a key role in a smart city strategy, in which street and other exterior lighting installations serve as backbone of a network in which services are delivered to the benefit of citizens, businesses and the local authority. Modern smart lighting products can help cities in monitoring the environment, to increase public and traffic safety, to upgrade connectivity as Wi-Fi hotspots, or to deliver location-based services like smart parking and smart navigation. The urban enhancement translates directly to increased
Maggie Pytlas, sales & marketing director UK & Ireland – Lighting & Traffic
With Valmont since 2021, in L&T industry since 2014. Focuses on growth and development of new technologies in conjunction with standard and bespoke engineered support structures.
citizen satisfaction – by contributing to more compatible cities and by helping to improve safety and reduce traffic issues.
Multifunctional lighting columns offer all-inone solution to house multiple applications from: smart lighting, digital displays, environmental and traffic sensors, to EV charging, CCTV, speakers, Wi-Fi and small cells. IoT Gateways create endless opportunities for applying innovative technologies to ameliorate experiencing the city by tourists, commuters, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers – all enjoying the benefits of smart solutions incorporated into street lighting infrastructure. The variety of smart solutions mounted on a lighting column combines all features in one support structure, which reduces a necessity of numerous separate installations.
As cities become more and more densely populated, space will become increasingly valuable. In the cities of the future, will a lighting column with only a lantern be seen as valuable? At Valmont, we believe that added value solutions will be the way forward. For that reason, we have developed a range of smart columns that are designed to help people stay connected while they enjoy the public space. M
The number of amenities available to residents does not factor in how far or time-consuming it may be to reach, an important consideration for amenity access. The Office for National Statistics worked with the OS to find out this vital information
The UK’s largest independent producer of official statistics has published a nationwide distance and travel time analysis which showed access to local amenities in England and Wales. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been studying public access to amenities, including an investigation published in early 2024, analysing access to sports facilities, supermarkets and museums. ONS has since expanded the range of amenities to describe how provision varies between and within local areas. The Access to amenities in local areas: October 2024 publication includes an interactive map covering local provision of ATMs and cash points, dental practices, GP surgeries, pharmacies, post offices, and more. ONS recognised that the number of amenities available to residents does not factor in how far
or time-consuming it may be to reach, an important consideration for amenity access. It worked with OS for location expertise and insight, to analyse travel times for two key amenities: railway stations, and libraries. Analysing travel time meant identifying the nearest railway station and libraries for inhabited 100m grid squares.
OS senior data scientist Mark Freeman identified 100m squares containing residential properties across Great Britain. For libraries and railway stations, Mark used OS NGD Land Use data, which identified specific building types, in addition to respective access points. The analysis measured distance and time needed to reach destinations, either driving or walking. The roads and paths followed were taken from the OS Multi-modal Routing Network (MRN). The purpose of the analysis was to try to ascertain the shortest travel time between each grid and a library/ rail station, not necessarily the shortest E
F distance. Walking routes would include height and slope of pathways, trying to avoid hills, while driving routes would factor in one-way roads and speed restrictions. Each grid square was assigned a time to its nearest amenity and the name of that amenity. ONS could then use the travel times – from grid square to nearest amenity – to estimate the proportion of the population within travel time bands for larger geographic areas. ONS then factored these results, along with other data such as population, into their analysis to consider which local areas had good access to amenities.
ONS has shared some interesting stats from their analysis. More than half (57 per cent) of the population of England and Wales live
within a 30-minute walk of a railway station. Approximately 78 per cent of the population of England and Wales are within a 30-minute walk of a public library, but this is higher in urban local authorities than in rural local authorities.
ONS has successfully delivered two key studies – analysis of access to sports facilities, and now libraries and rail stations. The methodology can be applied to any number of other projects across the public sector. ONS could expand its analysis, studying the same distance/time routes between homes and other important amenities such as hospitals, schools, and so on. It could unlock insight and help identify properties with minimalto-no amenities, essential in planning for the accessibility of public services to residents.
It could also prove beneficial in the analysis and planning of the ‘20-minute neighbourhood’ concept – an idea that investigates whether people can achieve their essential needs within a 20-minute walk of their home.
In the private sector, retail organisations could analyse access to premises, and identify optimum locations to build new branches that enables them to better serve communities.
OS is currently considering how the process could be improved further to make it faster and more efficient for public sector organisations to generate their own distance and travel time insights, on a large scale.
John Kimmance, chief customer officer at OS, said: “This is a great example of how OS expertise in the development of geospatial insights can be applied to a huge variety of different projects. This can help public sector
organisations at a national and local level with valuable insights which enable the most effective delivery of services to the general public.”
OS provides its data and services to the emergency services and wider public sector organisations through the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA). The PSGA is a contract between the government and OS for the provision of geospatial data across multiple themes, including buildings, transport, structures, addressing and land. The contract delivers key data to public sector members for use in everyday settings to support provision of critical services to the public.
All OS data can be accessed via the OS Data Hub . FURTHER
www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk
A new collaboration between Ordnance Survey and the Welsh Government is exploring how digital twins can create opportunities to improve services and outcomes for people in Wales. Chris Mee, from Ordnance Survey’s consultancy and technical services, shares how the project is progressing
Ordnance Survey (OS) and the Welsh Government have been working together to examine how digital twins might support Wales’ digital strategy and underpin policy areas. This partnership is built on key policy drivers such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015, and the Digital Strategy for Wales. OS played a crucial role in this project by providing its vast experience in geospatial and location-based expertise, in both the public and private sectors, to support thought leadership in digital twins. The primary tasks included facilitating discussions with many departments in the Welsh Government, enhancing
awareness of digital twins, and assisting in the identification of potential use cases.
Digital twins, which are virtual models of real-world objects, are essential for making well-informed, data-driven decisions. They exist in three levels: digital models (static representations), digital shadows (real-time data updates), and digital twins (two-way feedback loops and predictive capabilities). The benefits of digital twins include a deeper understanding of communities and the ability to assess impacts over time.
Combined with technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM), Internet of Things (IoT), Earth Observation (EO), Machine Learning (ML), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital twins offer additional insights by more effectively combining and analysing data. This alignment, with broader digital and sustainability objectives, is a key strength of the project. It is further reinforced by the Welsh Government’s policies to support the development and integration of digital twins.
The project involved extensive discussions with various Welsh Government departments, focusing on areas such as health, digital data, technology, community engagement, and poverty alleviation. External stakeholders included Cadw and Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, whose contributions were instrumental in understanding the evolving requirements of a national government. Much of the project involved educating personnel and departments in digital twin technologies, to ensure effective implementation and utilisation.
Several examples of digital twins were identified, each potentially impacting Wales for the better. These use cases were evaluated in a feasibility/importance matrix to prioritise those most likely to succeed and deliver significant benefits. The projects were compared against Welsh governmental priorities to ensure they addressed key policy objectives.
The selected projects have the potential to impact the Welsh community significantly. These include improving 5G coverage and broadband connectivity (which will enhance digital access for all), addressing coal tip safety and pollution from former metal mines across Wales, and using satellite imagery to accurately monitor field parcel boundary changes. At the same time, a predictive dashboard will
The project exemplifies how digital twins can drive innovation and create a more sustainable future for Wales by
integrating technologies and aligning with key policy frameworks
forecast air pollution based on weather patterns, which will contribute to a healthier environment. These initiatives aim to bridge the digital divide, enhance safety, and promote sustainable development across Wales, making the community a central focus of the project.
The project also included a SWOT analysis; a strategic planning tool highlighting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the Welsh Government’s journey with digital twins. This provides a clear roadmap for future improvements, ensuring the project’s continued success.
In the first phase of the project, potential use cases have been identified based on stakeholders’ needs and aligned with the priorities of the Welsh Government. The next phase will delve into more detail to understand what is needed to implement these case studies and explore how location data could be integrated further. This will involve identifying data standards and requirements, as well as potential sensors that may be necessary. OS aims to leverage its knowledge and offer various datasets to ensure successful outcomes.
OS has already collaborated with the Welsh Government to deliver improved services in health, transport, emergency services, education, and housing. This project, which is Geospatial Commission-funded through the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement (PSGA), demonstrates how location data is critical, and illustrates the transformative potential of digital twins in enhancing decision-making, understanding communities, and achieving sustainable development goals. This project exemplifies how digital twins can drive innovation and create a more sustainable future for Wales by integrating technologies and aligning with key policy frameworks.
Norfolk County Council is leading the way with technology such as IoT, satellite, and artificial intelligence to improve the quality of life for residents and create a more connected, efficient, and responsive community. Kurt Frary, the council’s IT & chief technology officer, explains further
In an era where technology is reshaping the dynamics of governance and public service, we at Norfolk County Council are proud to be at the forefront of innovation, setting and promoting new benchmarks in the public sector. Our commitment to leveraging cuttingedge technologies has enabled us to open new opportunities for our sector, for businesses and residents, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Norfolk County Council has a track record of leading the way through innovation with large scale deployment of Internet of Things (IoT), improving connectivity including using satellite technology, and early adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
We embraced Internet of Things (IoT) technology several years ago by deploying the UK’s largest free to use IoT network, the Norfolk & Suffolk Innovation Network. Serving as a platform for collaboration and experimentation with IoT technology for the public sector, businesses and the public.
One of the standout implementations of IoT within Norfolk is the deployment of sensors for smart winter gritting. Sensors placed in the ground inform us where temperatures are low and roads need gritting, ensuring that we only treat the necessary areas. This information then informs the gritting team of where to send the vehicles informing gritting routes and ensure that roads are safe during icy conditions. This not only enhances road safety but also reduces the environmental impact by minimising salt usage.
The “Step into Tech” initiative is another innovative project aimed at fostering digital literacy amongst young people. This program provides hands-on experiences with IoT devices and applications, encouraging young people to explore how technology can be integrated into daily life. By promoting the use of technology to solve problems the Council is preparing its community for the future digital landscape.
The most recent IoT implementation is being used to tackle flooding issues as flooding poses significant risks to communities and life. Norfolk County Council is proactively addressing this with the installation of flood sensors in Wellney Wash. These IoT-enabled sensors detect rising water levels and issue early warnings through electronic signage, alerting drivers to deep water and safeguarding lives and property. The next step is for real-time publishing of the data over social media.
Recognising the vital role of connectivity in driving economic growth, social inclusion and delivery of public services, Norfolk County Council has been working to ensure robust and reliable connectivity across the region.
Our ‘Better Broadband for Norfolk’ program has improved regional connectivity and E
F speeds through partnerships with top telecom providers to 200,000 premises across Norfolk. We’ve expanded this success with satellite and mobile mapping initiatives.
We are also using Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite to provide broadband services including free to use public Wi-Fi, in rural and remote areas including village halls. This technology offers a cost-effective and efficient
alternative to traditional wired connections, helping to address the digital divide and ensuring access to information and services.
Project Gigabit aims to deliver gigabit capable broadband across Norfolk, ensuring that even the most remote areas have access to high-speed internet. This initiative addresses connectivity challenges and enhances digital infrastructure, thereby fostering economic growth and social inclusion. This initiative will benefit 80,000 premises across Norfolk, attracting £129 million in inward investment.
Norfolk’s latest initiative uses bin lorries to map mobile signals for all four network operators. Close collaboration with district councils has enabled the use of their waste trucks to collect mobile network data from every household and business. Working with Streetwave to collect the mobile information, presenting it on a dashboard showing comprehensive mobile coverage data and performance across the county.
We have been early adopters of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies which underlines
our dedication to innovation and efficiency in the public sector. We have learned a lot from AI initiatives informing how services can be transformed and are to be delivered in the future. This includes the use of “off the shelf” AI products like Microsoft Co-Pilot for everyday support and specific technology like Xantura for machine learning and preventative measures.
As early adopters of Microsoft Co-Pilot, we have explored how AI and large language models can support our staff, inform services, and transform public service delivery. Enabling 300 staff from across all of our service departments to trial and experiment with the technology to learn where it can add significant value which has demonstrated that AI can help with transcribing meetings and generating case notes significantly reducing the time for frontline staff freeing them to help more people.
AI natural language assistants
We are experimenting with AI-driven assistants designed to support council staff in delivering services more effectively helping them find information and provide answers effectively and efficiently.
The most recent IoT implementation is being used to tackle flooding issues as flooding poses significant risks to communities and life
Intervention and prevention using AI Prevention and early intervention is another way AI can be used to benefit people. One example of this is to use machine learning to predict people at risk of falling.
Our “Falls Pilot” project is a remarkable example of how AI can be applied to help people using machine learning to analyse millions of free text case notes to predict people at risk of falling so we can intervene early and hopefully prevent or minimise the impact on the individual as well as NCC/NHS resources. This is about to be expanded to predict people likely to suffer in relation to social isolation/loneliness and hoarding.
Our commitment to innovation positions Norfolk County Council as a leader in the public sector. Our proactive approach to trialling, learning and integrating new technologies into their services demonstrates a clear vision for the future, one where technology enhances quality of life, drives economic growth, and ensures sustainable development.
By continuously exploring new technological frontiers, Norfolk County Council is not only improving the services it provides but also setting a benchmark for other public sector organisations to follow. We are a team player and share our work and findings with other public sector organisations through groups such as Socitm and the LGA.
The initiatives discussed in this article underscores Norfolk County Council’s dedication to creating a more connected, efficient, and responsive community, paving the way for a brighter future for all of Norfolk’s residents.
Kurt Frary is head of IT & chief technology officer at Norfolk County Council and Socitm vice president.
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.norfolk.gov.uk
Unit4 explores how financial planning and flexibility is increasingly becoming the key to financial success
Change
From political shifts to technological advancements, organisations must constantly adapt to new realities. For the public sector, which has faced over a decade of financial instability, rising demand for services, and unexpected crises, this adaptability is more critical than ever.
Fiscal resilience — the ability to withstand and quickly recover from financial shocks — has become a defining characteristic of success. The future is unpredictable, and robust financial planning, with a focus on flexibility, is the key to thriving in this environment.
Many organisations resist the idea that change is constant, but failing to plan for it is no longer an option. The public sector, especially in social services, healthcare, and education, must plan for change if they are to thrive.
A strategic approach to financial management is not just a good idea but a necessity. Leaders must acknowledge that the world of last year is different from the one we face today — and next year, we will be operating in yet another transformed space.
Long-term fiscal planning must be based on agility, adaptability, and data visibility to prepare for the unknown and build fiscal resilience to withstand shocks.
Despite the critical nature of fiscal resilience, a significant number of local authorities still struggle to achieve it. For instance, while 58 per cent of top-tier organisations and 86 per cent of lower-tier organisations report good financial resilience, there remains a high degree of uncertainty about future funding models and social care reforms.
The uncertainty makes it challenging for public sector entities to plan effectively. Balancing coherence with flexibility is vital. Organisations must craft financial plans that are robust enough to guide operations but adaptable enough to accommodate shifts in policy and demand. Effective financial planning and analysis (FP&A) is crucial for organisational resilience. It involves modeling scenarios, reporting quickly on fiscal realities, and creating flexible forecasting and budgeting frameworks.
Unfortunately, short-term thinking has become more prevalent in the public sector. Research from UK public sector finance leaders indicates that the average length of medium-term financial plans has dropped significantly over the past two years.
This trend reflects a fundamental lack of confidence in the ability to predict future demands or revenue streams beyond a short window, often as brief as one year.
Short-term financial planning can limit longterm strategic planning. This can lead to an overemphasis on immediate future planning and weaker medium-term strategies. Decisionmakers may react to events due to a limited planning horizon, which can be detrimental as demand for critical public services rises.
Organisations must shift their mindset from survival to strategic resilience. Longterm planning, supported by robust data and scenario modeling, is critical for managing these demands effectively.
One of the biggest barriers to effective financial planning is the reliance on outdated tools. According to UK public sector research, 99 per cent of local authorities still use spreadsheets as their primary financial planning tool.
While spreadsheets are useful, they are not designed for the complex financial planning and analysis required in today’s fast-changing world. Organisations need more advanced tools that allow for flexibility, scenario modeling, and real-time data visibility.
The adoption of cloud-based financial tools remains low, with only 9 per cent of authorities reporting their use. This reluctance to embrace more advanced solutions leaves organisations vulnerable to inefficiencies, inaccuracies in financial forecasting, and increased risk exposure.
Southampton City Council upgraded to Unit4’s cloud-based ERP system, saving over £200,000 and improving finance, HR, procurement, and process automation. They also saved £80,000 from HR efficiencies and £70,000 from eliminating legacy software, leading to enhanced service delivery and streamlined operations.
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust implemented Unit4’s FP&A system, which was integrated with their existing ERP platform. This cloud-based solution
streamlined budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow planning, cutting budgeting time by a third and improving accuracy. The system also aids compliance with IFRS 16, managing 1,500 leases. It enhances decisionmaking and operational efficiency, enabling better resource allocation and service delivery.
Forest Research, the UK’s principal provider of tree-related research relies on Unit4 ERP to deliver comprehensive finance and HR platform that includes general ledger, AP and AP, procurement, projects, staff absence, timesheets, and a people resource planner. This single integrated view provides Forest Research with a powerful tool for growth and accountability. The team can harness meaningful insights to transform their workplace. “It is essential that we have a single source of finance and HR truth. The management information that provides enables us to be more confident in our decisions, consistently hit financial targets, and drive a great employee experience.” Finance Director, Forest Research
Public sector organisations can now embrace built for purpose cloud-based solutions that improve data visibility to establish the fiscal resilience needed to secure the delivery of critical services to their communities.
Learn more about how we are transforming finance in the public sector, higher education, and not-for-profit organisations. M
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.unit4.com
Increased communication with residents has helped Sutton Housing Partnership become more proactive at meeting their needs.
Managing director Steve Tucker explains how this was achieved
The social housing sector is about so much more than the provision of shelter. It’s built on trust and the commitment to ensure residents feel safe in their homes and the communities where they live.
Social housing landlords that listen to residents can better understand people’s
unique needs and address their concerns. That’s why at Sutton Housing Partnership, we’ve made changes to the way we work to encourage genuine connection with our residents.
These changes have increased communication and helped us to be more proactive at meeting residents’ needs.
We manage over 7,500 properties, servicing both tenants and leaseholders with diverse needs.
People’s preferences when it comes to communicating with us often differ. Most of our residents like to check their rental account, report repairs and make payments themselves on our website. Those who prefer a more personal approach call their housing manager directly or come to the office to see us in person.
Giving residents options has significantly reduced call volumes, allowing our team more time to focus on those who need one-on-one support, especially older or vulnerable people.
Residents have told us that with more choice in how they communicate, they feel they have more control in their housing too.
Landlords need to know what people think of them – both what they get right and where improvements can be made.
Giving residents options for communication has significantly reduced call volumes, allowing our team more time to focus on those who need one-on-one support, especially older or vulnerable people
Making it easy for residents to contact us has helped them to feel listened to, but it’s helped us change the way we work too. We regularly gather people’s views through online surveys, phone calls, and in-person meetings. Residents’ opinions directly influence our decisions, including how best to respond to reports of anti-social behaviour.
Residents told us they wanted more help to resolve issues with neighbours, so we work closely with each household to settle matters or clear up misunderstandings, involving mediators if necessary. This can be life-changing, especially for those who feel isolated or unable to resolve conflicts alone.
By viewing feedback from residents alongside information such as property locations in our NEC housing system, we can also identify hot spots for street level issues, such as flytipping or graffiti. This allows us to get help from the council or police to nip problems in the bud and prevent them from reoccurring.
Our closer relationships with residents has given us a much deeper understanding of the challenges they face and what support they need from us, especially when they have a sudden change of circumstances.
If a resident loses their job or their spouse becomes ill, life can change very quickly. We want to help people when life takes a difficult turn.
Looking at the information our housing managers gather when they visit a household helps us to spot when a resident might be facing difficulties. It could be damp or mould reported in a home where a family has recently started falling behind with their rent payments. If we know they’re finding it more difficult to cover the cost of heating their home, we can take action to help. Some timely debt management guidance E
By bringing information together, we’ve helped reduce incidences of domestic violence too, a key focus for us in recent years
F or a rental payment plan, if appropriate, could be all that’s needed to help a family to keep their home warm and comfortable.
You can’t do any of this without reliable information, so our staff make it a personal mission to keep data on residents, their homes and neighbourhoods up to date.
The ‘New Deal’ is another change we’ve introduced to encourage people to feel understood and cared for.
Before, each housing manager had around 900 households to visit, which made it impossible to really get to know people. Even when a visit could be made, they would not have been there long enough to find out that a resident had recently been hospitalised after a fall or a redundancy had put a family under financial pressure.
As part of the New Deal, we cut housing managers’ caseloads to around 370 and they are now the primary point of contact for everything from rental payments to resident engagement and welfare rights. The only exception is repairs, which are overseen by a specialist team.
With fewer properties to get round, our housing managers have more time with residents for a proper chat. People are much more likely to reach out for help with non-housing related issues too, sharing personal challenges from money worries to health matters. Our team is also trained to connect residents with local charities and other agencies, extending our support beyond housing needs to make a real difference in people’s lives.
Holding information such as updates from housing managers, reports of damage in homes and incoming communications in one place can be a lifeline. If we can see a water leak has happened in an elderly resident’s home, we will send a team out urgently to fix it, which immediately cuts the risk of them falling on a wet floor. By bringing information together, we’ve helped reduce incidences of domestic violence too, a key focus for us in recent years. Seemingly unrelated details such as a
lock repair request or noise complaint from a neighbour may not necessarily raise alarm bells when viewed in isolation. But together, these pieces of information might be early indicators of domestic abuse. As a precaution in these circumstances we might organise a check-in visit from the housing manager, accompanied by a domestic violence advisor, to assess whether further support is necessary.
We know we’ve been able to step in to help residents before domestic situations have escalated into something more serious. Vulnerable residents have also found a pathway to safety and hope for a brighter future.
Residents who are comfortable in their homes with a thriving community around them tend to feel happier and safer.
With every improvement, we’ve strengthened the quality of our services and the community bonds that make our residents feel valued.
STATUS LED
(Availability at one glance)
NFC/RFID TERMINAL
(For contactless payment)
TYPE 2 PLUG
(For own cable usage; up to 22 kW)
CABLE DRUM WITH INTEGRATED CABLE
(Extendable up to 6.5m; up to 11 kW)
PARKING SENSOR
• Compliant with BSI PAS1899:2022, the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 OZEV LEVI and ORCS standards.
• Operational uptime > 99% thanks to the modular design that optimises maintenance.
• Charging points up and running in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Poland, France and now in the UK.
• Built- in parking sensor to detect nuisance parking.
• Integrated 6.5 meters retractable cable for convinience, security and to minimise trip hazards.
Our AI location algorithm, mobile app navigation with live status and reservation function round off the solution.
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