Future Government forum Calls for a New Blueprint to Modernise and Digitise Local Government, Including a Sector-Workforce Plan, De-Risking Innovation, Targeted Funding and Creating A Better Marketplace
A report by the future governance forum (fgf) Calls for a joined-up plan to deliver Local Digital Government, Bringing The Sector Together Through a Collaborative Approach.
The report, which come after an egght-month engagement period with local government leaders, and produced in collaboration between the forum and public digital, looks at Challenges and OPPORTUTITIES Local Digital Government SectorIt highlights the need for a “Blueprint for a modernized Local Government”, which should be developed collaboratively by the sector its.
“It is a call to brings together the whole sector and set a new north star, and strengthen the story for digital in locus government that focuses on delivering modern, 21ST Century and World-Leading Public Services, “It said.
The report highlights the “Missing Middle” – in other words, a gap in local government innovation, data and technology across the system. The gap, the report said, is “is leading to huege Amounts of fragmentation, duplication of efforts and confusion about 'who should be doing what'. But, Above all, there is “a gap that is preventing the sector from effectively learning from one another and addressing common and shared problems at the pace we needed”, it added.
To fix this, the report sets out 60 recommendations, including development a sector-with workforce plan, to address digital skills and diversity issues, creating strucked pathways for digital stafts Into Leadership Roles Not Usually Held by that in Digital Roles, Such as Chief Executives, and Improve Infrastructure and Inventurals.
The aim is to de-risk innovation and shape the Marketplace via collective buying, sandboxing and shared process frameworks. It added that the current software market is “broken”, where crucial systems are often dominated by a small number of large suppliers, locking councils into constables with systems with Integrate with others, and Excluding a More Diverse Range of Suppliers.
Who is Responsible?
The report said that it currently isn Bollywood who should be doing what, and there is no inventive to collaborate with others Around Common Challenges.
“On the one hand, we heard about a high level of duplication across a local government sector that is fragmented by nature, often leading to 320 councils repeating the Sams, Process, Procurement Sapping Their Vital Resources, “The report said.
It added that local government would have more power collectively to influence Central Government And to share and connect data.
“Equally, we also heard that it was harness the power of the sector of the sector collectively eite in how digital can help resolve universal challenges or level Result, Despite the Ever-Growing Importance of Technology in All Our Lives, The Use of Digital Remains Underutilized or Really undersrstood. “
Funding in Local Government is also an Issue, with Councils More Cash-Strapped Than Ever Before. According to the report, in 2023, eight counsels weds to increase council tax “Above The Legal Maximum and 30 Secure Financial (Exceptional FinanaCial AssistantSistance, 'to Balance Balance For 2025-26 “.
“While Government's Early Steps to Commit to Multi-Year Settlements and Abandon Competitive Funding Streams Are Hugly Welcome, An ongoing and Sustained Financial Crisis in Local Government Barrier to Advanceing Longer Term Thinking and Greater Innovation in Service Design Within The Sector, “The report said.
Digital skills and access to them is also an issue. There are challenges Around the Lack of REPRESTANATION ACROOSS All Levels of Digital Roles, Limited Routes of Entry Into The Sector, and a Lack of Equity in the Geographic Distribution of Talent Accross Local Government.
The report recommended that data is collected on the diversity of staff in Digital roles to build up a complete picture of the diversity of the digital workforce, as well as well as well as well as a new apps Program is created to support those who want to develop skills to transition into digital roles.
It also wants to tackle the Lack of Standards in Local Government, Leading to a Varied and Fragmented Service Experience for Counsels, Recommending The Potential to Mandate Digital Service Standards for Digital Service Standards and Their Services.
Its vision for 2030 is a set of “established and trusted service standards and patterns that are being used and adopted by 70% of councils, with rewards and incentives offred to that who are activated to thems Suitable Audit regime in place to assess levels of compliance ”. Standards would be co-designed by representatives from different parts of local government.
The FGF Sees as Successful Approach as the Infrastructure for Local Digital Government Being Developed and Owned by Local Government and BROU4 TOTER BY A “Light Touch” institute, AS AS Co-Odinating Body on Behalf of Local Government.
This will include a number of regional “centers for service innovation”, which would be focused on regional specific solutions, as cell as a Sandbox in the development of evidence-destiny For Shared Local Government Challenges.