Talking 5 with local public services member Bloom Services
Each month, techUK's Associate Director for Local Public Services, Georgina Maratheftis, interviews a member active in the local government space about their vision for the future of local public services and where digital can make a real difference to people and society. This month we talk to Rosalind Lambert, Account Manager at Bloom Procurement Services, about the adoption of AI and the benefits of a fully embedded digital Authority.
Welcome Rosalind. Firstly, tell me more about you, your career and how you got to this position today?
After graduating and working within event management I moved into the world of recruitment working for a mixture of national and boutique consultancies before moving into digital/tech executive search for the Public Sector which I absolutely loved. Digital and tech really resonates with me as it never stands still and has moved on from being viewed as a tool for the wealthy and niche tech organisations to a must have enabler that really transforms lives.
Recently I made the decision to move out of Executive Search and join Bloom Procurement Services as an Account Manager for the Public Sector, specifically Local Government and the NHS as through the NEPRO3 Framework, Bloom can procure, manage and deliver transformational digital programmes of work that result in real tangible benefits to the public on both a national and regional level.
It is a real privilege to work with C-suite stakeholders and Procurement professionals to not only ensure that only the best delivery partners are chosen but also to help the Public Sector save money and achieve VFM in their digital and tech procurement.
What is the greatest opportunity for local government when it comes to digital?
For me, this is the advancement and adoption of AI. AI can a polarising topic with many scared that it will replace their roles. Whilst I can’t deny that some tasks should and will become automated, it will increase roles in other areas. Adoption of AI provides Local Authorities with the opportunity to take advantage of increased efficiencies to reduce costs and ultimately deliver better services to its residents.
There are many examples where this can benefit both Local Authorities and residents, including virtual wards and predictive sensory analysis, all of which assists Adult Social Care and helps keep residents in their own homes, not care homes or hospitals. Other examples are translation services, allowing residents, particularly those in multi-cultural areas to communicate with their Local Authority in their native language.
Of course, we need to be mindful that AI is adopted in a safe way and doesn’t preclude services and benefits to those that are in digital poverty.
There are several relevant areas in which Bloom has assisted customers, namely procuring investigation projects to define the current and future states of digital capabilities and services, as well as supporting in the appointment of the right delivery partners to manage the implementation and change management of AI.
What is your vision for the future of local public services and places?
Digital can offer so much to local public services and places, imagine being able to have the same amount of digital interaction with your Local Authority as you do say with your bank and major retailers - but it needs to be fully embedded in the blueprint for the future. Local Authorities are currently at a crossroads where they need to accommodate the generation who still likes to do things face to face, or those in digital poverty, alongside the generation of new voters and residents who have never not known a digital age and prefer to engage and transact via an app on their phone.
Many authorities still see digital as a cost centre, yet the importance and the rise of smart cities and creating that digital front door cannot be overlooked, and those are the authorities that are delivering tangible benefits to its residents.
A barrier to entry for delivering fully integrated digital services has always been cost, but with the increase in Devolution and LGR allowing for economies of scale and the opportunity to procure VFM projects through Bloom, perhaps the tide is turning and in our lifetime we will all have fully embedded digital Local Authorities.
techUK - Transforming Public Services
techUK members are transforming public services in the UK. Our community help to shape a smarter, digitally empowered public sector.
techUK drives public sector digital transformation by uniting the public sector and tech industry. Through early market engagement, efficient procurement, and innovative technology adoption, we help to modernise legacy IT, and enable efficient, secure, and personalised services.
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