In 2024, public sector digital activity will be driven by a broad range of global and national factors, that can be impacted positively and negatively by digital and technology trends. Arguably, these external factors have never been more challenging for local public services, with a perfect storm of heightened economic, social, and environmental pressures, more constrained resources, increased assessments and inspections, political uncertainties and growing public demands.
In parallel, there has been a growing priority since the Covid pandemic for local public services to ‘connect together better’ to solve complex issues of ‘whole system working’ in ‘Connected Places’.
Developing new digital capability is arguably the only possible solution to this collision of forces. In 2024, this will require public services to recalibrate, particularly in areas such as:
- Digital, skills and capability, from service delivery to board level roles.
- Community resilience, as more dependence is placed on digital systems and access.
- Innovation to deliver better outcomes for people, communities and places by harnessing data, systems and service remodelling.
Understanding how to take advantage of digital and technology opportunities in the context of connected public services will be an important shift in 2024, ensuring that digital and technology priorities are aligned, sufficiently resourced and controlled in the context of external pressures and service needs:
Impact case
Trend analysis – 10 trends that affect the municipal and regional assignment
The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR) offers workshop materials for use by local governments based on its latest analysis looking towards the year 2035, describing five fields of tension and ten trends that will affect municipalities and regions in different ways. The analysis presents their top five digital and top five technology trends, set in the broader context of the pressures and drivers facing public services and the people, communities and places that they serve.