As well as presenting unique health and humanitarian challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has also shaken up service delivery and customer expectations for most organisations. There’s been particular pressure on public service providers, as they help people stay housed, healthy, educated and part of a working society.
Some public service providers had the technology to seamlessly adapt to restrictions. But many providers had to quickly adapt to get digital solutions in place. These solutions answered pressing questions such as:
- How can we get the whole team working from home in a matter of days or weeks?
- How can we stay connected with citizens, clients or patients? And,
- How can we maintain service delivery with reliability and transparency amid the chaos?
Because of the rapidly changing environment, some providers put software in place with a short-term view – solutions that would at least get the job done ‘for now’. Many have since felt the pressure to roll back to their original systems as time goes on, either from the community or from management.
But to go back to the old ways could be a mistake.
The cultural shift is well underway. Citizens, staff and communities have seen how differently things can be done. Digitally prepared organisations can pivot more quickly and have a better chance of preparing for any future developments, rather than simply reacting to them. It’s time to be bold, embrace change and start providing the public services of the future.
McKinsey research shows that within the public sector, technological implementation focused on a small set of true priorities is much more likely to succeed than initiatives that attempt to change everything at once. Below, we’ll explore where each sector might focus as they move forward.
Click your sector to jump straight there:
Final words
Some public service providers have been far more prepared than others to adapt to major changes in service delivery and management. With changing expectations and increasing pressures, now’s not the time to shy away from transformation – it’s time to fully embrace community-as-a-service and commit to the new wave in technology-enabled engagement and service delivery.
Our own clients find they’ve been able to respond effectively in the wake of COVID-19. Agility is key so that you can rapidly and precisely deploy necessary technology as it’s needed, rather than rely on capital-driven approaches that demand long lead times. If you’d like to discuss how you can find new efficiencies, improve the citizen and staff experience and drive better community outcomes, contact us today.