A 3 Step Guide to Better Government and Industry Collaboration
It isn’t insightful to say that local government is facing significant challenges. Authorities up and down the country are being asked to deliver more for less, particularly in relation to the delivery of their core statutory services. The Local Government Association estimates that the cost of delivering these services has increased by 28.6% since 2021/22: a figure that is only set to increase further.
Unfortunately, it is now quite common for the news to be dominated by the bleak outlook that local government finds itself in: burdensome financial pressures, bankruptcies, and rising council tax.
However, there are reasons to be positive. What consumers likely see less in the news is the plentiful examples of amazing work being undertaken by local authorities on some of our greatest community challenges, whether that be in meeting net zero targets, delivering high-quality support for our most vulnerable, and driving local economies.
Technology has a huge part to play in this journey. By harnessing the opportunities afforded by advanced technology, digital tools and AI, local government can improve service delivery, enhance communication, streamline administrative processes, and narrow the digital divide.
There are some great examples to learn from out there already. Newcastle City Council has used AI technology to create ‘bots’ to streamline and improve customer service delivery and save costs. Derby City Council has recently announced a £7 million investment in AI technology to help staff automate routine tasks and generate information quickly. Worcestershire County Council has cleverly used data and technology to help predict social care demands. There are so many more.
Whilst many local authorities are very forward-thinking in their desire to utilise the newest technologies for good, some barriers make it difficult, including security, privacy, ethical and regulatory concerns.
The good news is that, with every knotty problem local government faces, there is very likely to be an industry provider out there ready to solve it. The snag is that it isn’t always that simple. Those in the private sector especially report blockages as they try to engage with local government. They can speak of a confusion over council decision-making structures, an internal culture of ‘not thinking outside the box’, and a frustration that processes can be longer than they would like.
At Henham Strategy, we are proud to be working with many private sector organisations who want to help local councils deliver more for their residents. We help our clients to understand the ‘nitty-gritty’ of local government, broker the right conversations with the right people, and ultimately bring forward solutions to authorities’ problems.
So, what can help industry better engage with local government?
1) Understand your audience: Local authorities, of whatever size, have a few things in common. There is a lot going on, and officers are driven by the strategic remit of their authority, set by the political leadership. Take the time to understand where your business would fit into the authority’s landscape and what makes your intended audience ‘tick’. In short – why would your solution help their residents?
2) Be honest, upfront and open: Tone and delivery is important. Pure ‘sales’ mode is unlikely to land well, particularly if delivered cold. Speak to local government in plain and simple language, tailored to their needs and objectives.
3) Communicate impact and value for money: Local government love to hear that a solution will save time and money, and deliver a better service – ideally all of those things. Be clear on your impact, rooted in data and evidence, using other councils’ case studies if you can.
Local government is where real impact can happen. Effective Government and industry collaboration holds the key to unlocking much more of this impact. The power and influence of technology will only continue to become more instrumental in the way we deliver local services and strengthen communities. Reach out to your local council today!
Heather Cover-Kus
Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Ellie Huckle
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
Annie Collings
Annie joined techUK as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023.
Austin Earl
Austin joined techUK’s Central Government team in March 2024 to launch a workstream within education and edtech.
Ella Gago-Brookes
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.
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