Leveraging cloud for citizen-centric services

Many public sector organisations, from central government departments to local authorities and county councils, are increasing their efforts to transform their IT capabilities to improve organisational efficiency and provide new and enhanced citizen-centric services. This has mainly been driven by the unexpected and significant disruption brought by the COVID pandemic which has shone a light on critical needs and the government’s ability to respond quickly

That said, unlike private sector organisations, the public sector is still finding it challenging to marry up cloud computing operations with its projects and departmental aims. And low budgets, lack of inertia and a lack of the right resources don’t help.

Once deployed and used correctly, cloud computing can improve the pace of delivery, improve security, deliver cost efficiencies, and give public sector organisations more adaptable and responsive options on which to draw when needed.

Changing expectations

The public sector needs to provide services and care for all of its citizens. Innovations in customer interactions delivered by private sector organisations have shifted consumer expectations, especially since the pandemic. We now live in a world where consumers are expected to self-serve so there is an expectation that services delivered by the public sector are as instant as checking your bank account balance via an app. Booking a GP appointment or claiming an allowance should be equally as seamless and frictionless. Public sector organisations need to rapidly adapt to external factors – this has been critical since the start of the pandemic. Cloud computing enables this. With well-built cloud computing platforms, the public sector can build quickly, with flexible scalability, to react to any changing circumstance – be it a cost-of-living crisis, change of government or the processing of asylum claims. Cloud computing has the capacity to help government departments to deal with dynamic changes in technology and computing needs much more quickly and effectively.

“The time for digital transformation and reinvention of citizen-centric public sectors services powered by the innovation of cloud is now.”

Getting the most out of cloud computing

If cloud computing is deployed effectively, public sector organisations can strengthen technology and data security, generate cost savings, improve the pace of delivery, generate more flexible, agile opportunities and improve services for the citizens they serve. Government department leaders need to look for the right technology providers and consulting services providers to transform their organisation’s cloud operations as effectively and efficiently as possible.

To create a well-planned roadmap to maximise the transformative potential of cloud, central government departments and local government bodies need to research the best options to combine industry-leading business solutions with a high-touch, outcome-based approach. There are plenty of providers publishing reports and giving advice to help demystify the various options. It’s critical to bring the right partners together to create an ecosystem of solutions and support ranging from consulting and strategy development to cloud engineering innovation, migration and transformation. This way, public sector organisations can bring together the latest and best solutions on the market. This is all the more critical for public sector bodies where employees are short on time and resources – simple and easy to manage and effective systems are much needed.

Cloud computing and cybersecurity

As cyber security threats change, choosing the right technology provider is also really important. There is a concern amongst many public sector organisations that hosting your IT infrastructure on the cloud means a loss of control. It’s actually the opposite. In many ways, public cloud can offer better security than ‘on premises’ such as providing centralised protection and backed-up data. The other significant benefit is that public sector organisations will be able to take advantage of continual improvements and updates to technology.

Public sector organisations need to work with both technology providers and those offering consulting services to ensure that critical data is protected via the enhanced security that cloud offers. Given the highly sensitive and personal nature of the data that government departments and local authorities hold, this is of even greater importance within the public sector. The other benefit of combining the specialist skills of technology providers and consulting services is that it will help drive a smooth transition to cloud and deliver extensive rewards.

The time for digital transformation and reinvention of citizen-centric public sectors services powered by the innovation of cloud is now. Public sector organisations stand to benefit in a number of ways under the UK government’s ‘cloud first’ policy for all technology-related decisions. L

Further Information

For more details of Wipro’s FullStride Cloud Services click here.