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Conclusions

Our research reveals the top digital and technology trends set to make a difference for people, communities and places.

Authors and contributors: Martin Ferguson, Diana Rebaza, Yasmine Hajji, David Ogden

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Ranging from new technology adoption, such as AI, to harnessing new insights from data, Socitm’s Digital Trends research reveals the top digital and technology trends set to reshape services and make a difference in outcomes for people, communities and places.

But Socitm also expects a continuing tough time for digital leaders in the public sector, with significant pressures on IT and digital capacity, skills, resources and growing cyber risks. Their role will be multifaceted to become business builders, protectors, orchestrators and operators. They will drive initiatives to link investments in technologies and data to the creation of value. A good understanding of how technology is evolving and what are its implications beyond cultural, administrative, organisational and structural borders will be crucial.

Collaboration and joint working will be key in redefining service models in inclusive, connected places. Public sector organisations that resist adopting revised working practices or remain insular will find it difficult to sustain services and to address resident’s problems. The announcement of the English Devolution White Paper at the end of 2024 will create a greater impetus for collaboration and cohesion across the sector.

‘Whole system’ working in connected places will depend on significant change to organisational structures and their governance. We identify a dependence on national and local leadership working together in this respect.

The challenge

The local government sector is at a turning point. The watershed shift to ‘digital by default’, or however else it may be described, occurred as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The challenge for public service organisations is to set a lead in how this digital momentum can be harnessed. They will ensure no one gets left behind, human interaction exists when needed and that digital operating models work collectively to combat problems facing contemporary societies, their economies and the wider environment in ways that are responsible, secure and ethical.

These fundamental shifts will demand a mindset shift by political and executive leadership to, one that is both strong but also authentic, humble, collaborative, adaptive and outwards looking. Open to learning and improving they will build teams to transform lives and places.

For public sector leaders, the implications of these trends are profound:

  • They will need to understand the difference between ‘digital’ and ‘IT’, ensure they work together across places, not just within organisations.
  • They will work across cultural, administrative, organisational and structural borders to reimagine, redesign and deliver future public services.
  • Their role will be multifaceted acting as builders, protectors, orchestrators and operators.
  • They will drive initiatives that link technology and data to create public value and deliver public good.
  • They will create conditions for resilient infrastructure and systems across their place.
  • Using new data insights and analytics tools, they will navigate complex environments and build best practice examples for others, maturing the use of this capability to facilitate informed decision-making.
  • They will manage technology, data and digital services in ways that are responsible, ethical and secure, not just for organisational efficiency or following IT fads.
  • They will invest in developing and attracting the appropriate and necessary skills, competency and digital literacy within their organisations and the communities they serve.
  • They will be storytellers, adept at using narrative to persuade and move others to action.

Reflecting these changes, we have set out 10 key questions that public sector leaders should be ready to answer in the context of their place.

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