Presentation on transforming local public services using technology, digital tools and approaches. Presented by Siobhan Coughlan at Local Digital Today on 14 November 2014.

1. Transforming local public services
using technology & digital tools & approaches
Siobhan Coughlan,
Programme Manager, Productivity
14 November 2014
www.local.gov.uk

2. Transforming local public services
Report and 11 separate
case studies
http://www.local.gov.uk/web/guest/productivity/-/

3. What set out to do
To capture and share the different effective and
innovative approaches implemented by councils
as well as the savings generated;
•To enable those citizens who can and wish to do so,
carry out their business online
•To enable their staff work more effectively in the
office, remotely and in partner’s offices

4. Background
• Long history of applying technology for example,
back office systems for finance and work orders, e.g.
housing repairs
• LGOL (2000-5), DCLG funded programme to enable
councils implement a range of different technology
tools and approaches, generated £670m savings;
– Connect digitally, school applications and FS
online
– CRM – implementation & integration
– Nomad – supporting mobile & remote working

5. The drivers for councils
• Cuts to councils’ funding – 40% during this
Parliament
• Increasing levels of demand from residents impacted
by the recession
• Demographic pressures – increases in numbers of
over 80 year olds and in births
• Local economic regeneration – supporting SMEs
• New areas of responsibility and changes to existing
arrangements – Public Health, Welfare Reform,
health and care integration, etc.

6. The graph of doom
Income against expenditure 2010/11 to 2019/20

7. Technology & digital as THE
solution?

8. Technology & digital as an enabler
• to support increased levels of self-service for residents and
businesses, supporting digital take-up, e.g. for online school
applications, Universal Credit, etc.
• to deliver services and support differently e.g. telecare care
and assisted technologies in resident’s own home
• to work more effectively with partners, sharing information
to join up around shared customers – e.g. troubled families,
vulnerable older adults, etc.
• for staff to work remotely, while out and about, to supports
shared service and shared accommodation arrangements
• to provide up-to-date information in response to
emergencies / incidents, e.g. flood alerts, road or school
closures, etc.

9. Some of the projects

10. Route planning tool
In the face of budget cuts, increased tax burdens for landfill, and
challenging targets to improve recycling, councils are
increasingly exploiting mapping technology to improve the
quality and cost of waste collection, achieve better procurement,
and develop more efficient service partnerships.
•Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury
Borough Council saved £300,000 annually and improved
services through using better geographical data to optimise the
routes for refuse collection and cleaning;
•East Northamptonshire Council saved £200,000 annually
using Ordnance Survey technology

11. Mobile apps
Spelthorne Borough Council to encourage channel shift and
improve service delivery. The app allows the council to
provide customers with access to services, news, transactional
tasks and updates via their smart phones,
The council has benefited from the app which has resulted in:
– 18 per cent increase in for Council Tax internet payments compared
with 2012/13
– 42 per cent increase in internet payments compared with 2012/13
– 10 per cent reduction to calls into customer services since the
introduction of the app
– Customer contact savings have been delivered in the region of
£33,000 for 2013/14 with a reduction of 1.4 FTEs in the call centre for
2014/15.

12. Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority
• Felixstowe container port system one of the UK’s busiest
ports - 41 per cent of food imported to the UK.
• Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA) is responsible
for checking the products.
• In 2008 it was using a 15-year-old IT system
• SCPHA developed in-house Port Health Interactive Live
Information System (PHILIS) requires less paperwork - for
staff and food importers.
• annual savings of around 17,000 working hours, £200k
savings a year since it went live in 2009.
• started to license the system to other Port Health Authorities,
e.g. Mersey and London, generating £80k pa extra income.

13. Summary
• Lots of good work happening in councils –
implementing technology & digital tools and
approaches to improve customer and staff
experience
• Examples referenced in this report generated £41m
savings (excluding Connect Digitally, TUO and
UKDB programmes)
Challenge – how we can help mainstream this work to
help other councils?