Programme actions

The mission of the Local Government programme is to look at how suppliers and councils can better collaborate to create the environment for meaningful end-to-end transformation that improves outcomes for citizens. This is everything from looking at standards to data to interoperability. Last year, we were delighted to be co-publishers of the Local Digital Declaration and will work with the Ministry for Housing and Local Government, local authorities and industry to realise it’s ambition to create the conditions needed for the next generation of local public services, that also brings in new entrants into the growing local government tech market.

The programme also provides the forum for councils to engage with industry to better understand the innovations out there, as well as horizon-scan on how the technologies of today and tomorrow can re-imagine local public services and solve some of the most pressing challenges our local services face – from children services to an ageing population.

Furthermore, with a great focus on ‘place’ at the local level, we will be offering a more integrated local public services offer this year working even more closely with the local public safety and health and social care programme to deliver value to our members and stakeholders.

techUK’s Local Government programme has been developed with members to help them:

Develop Networks

• techUK is the forum that connects tech companies large and small with each other and with local public services.

  Issue: By its very nature local government is highly fragmented often making it difficult to navigate, especially for new entrants. Effective engagement between industry and local authorities is critical in overcoming the barriers to access, collaboration and increased innovation in local public services.

  Required Outcome: techUK will be the champion in growing the local public services eco-system and the go-to for suppliers to connect and identify new business partners.

Develop Markets 

• techUK will work with local public services and suppliers to help create the conditions for meaningful transformation that improves outcomes for citizens.

  Issue: The fast pace of technological change often makes it difficult for local government to be on top of what the latest innovations are that can help them reimagine the delivery of local public services. Furthermore, lack of common patterns and sharing of best practice internally and across the area can lead to increased duplication rather than innovation.

  Required Outcomes: As co-publishers of the Local Digital Declaration techUK will continue to work with the Ministry for Housing and Local Government, local authorities and suppliers to remove the barriers to interoperability and collaboration.

• techUK will also be the platform for local public services to test new ideas, connect with peers across the market to deliver a place-based approach.

  Issue: A more place-based approach will be taken, looking at the whole view of local public services to identify common problems and how digital can enable improved integration and multi-agency working.

  Required Outcomes: 

  • Continue to work with members and local government on what the ‘Council of the Future’ vision is and building on our digital devolution work by taking a more place-based approach to our activity. This includes regularly posting guest blogs on delivering place-based services; delivering regular events bringing together the local public safety and social care communities with ambition of improving multi-agency working - culminating in a campaign week in Q2.

  • In partnership with the Justice & Emergency Services Programme we will produce a ‘Multi-Agency’ paper in Q3 to identify best practice, tools and resources for creating an environment that supports and drives effective multi-agency collaboration.

  • Deliver one regional event on place-based bringing together local public service providers (emergency services, local authorities and health).

  • techUK will champion a problem-led approach to procurement and run 2 challenge workshops with local government to illustrate the ‘art of the possible’ in how digital can improve service outcomes.

  • We will support suppliers and local public services to be market ready for all the disruptive tech opportunities. This will include holding session in Q2 and Q4 on what future tech trends are and the emerging technologies disrupting the market.

  • Working collaboratively with the Central Government programme to host a ‘govtech workstream’ on how emerging technologies can enable improved social outcomes.

  • Quarterly hold roundtables with councils and members on the enabling role tech can play in transforming a specific service area. Kicking off with the role of tech in the future of social care, working together with the Health & Social Care Programme to hold a roundtable in Q1 that will culminate in a joint paper on what the Adult Social Care Green Paper should focus on.

  • Working alongside SmarterUK, techUK will work with a handful of local authorities to roll-out the principles of the ‘Digital Board’ report.

Reduce Business Cost and Risk

• techUK will campaign for smarter, outcome-focused procurement from local government.

  Issue: Procurement processes can vary significantly between local authorities, and central frameworks are not always used. There is also still a tendency for solution driven procurements rather than strategic and problem-led which can also aid duplication.

  Required Outcomes: techUK will be the platform for councils to test new ideas and pro-actively undertake early and active pre-procurement market engagement.

For more information please contact: 

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  Georgina Maratheftis

  Head of Local Public Services
  T 020 7331 2029
  E georgina.maratheftis@techuk.org

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  Ellie Huckle

  Programme Assistant | Public Sector
  T 020 7331 2015
  E ellie.huckle@techuk.org