A person budgeting with a calculator

Bridging the digital divide survey report.

Public sector organisations are between a rock and a hard place.

With falling real terms budgets – an anticipated £3.2bn budget shortfall for local authorities in 2023, and soaring costs driven by the cost-of-living crisis and inflation, they are under unprecedented levels of pressure to keep delivering vital frontline services to the taxpayer. Changes to the way they manage their finances, enabling them to achieve more with less, are fundamentally required and for some, long overdue.

The UK government published a roadmap for digital and data in June 2022, Transforming for a Digital Future outlining the government's vision, priorities and actions to accelerate the digital transformation of public services and improve the use of data across government.

The roadmap sets out a common cross-government vision for 2025 and a set of specific actions they will collectively take to achieve it. It has been written collaboratively by the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) and central government departments.

It contains 6 missions that the government must deliver against to achieve the vision:

  • Transformed public services that achieve the right outcomes
  • Streamlined, single login for users with the ‘Tell us once’ Government campaign
  • Higher quality data to power good decision making
  • Secure, efficient, and sustainable technology
  • Digital skills at scale
  • A system that unlocks digital transformation *

However, a recent survey of public sector procurement professionals conducted by Public Sector Executive on behalf of Advanced reveals a large discrepancy between the government's digital goals and the actual practices. Some of the results of the survey revealed that manual methods are still prevalent among the respondents, with 32.3% using them for supplier management and more than 50% for budgeting. These manual methods can compromise the quality and efficiency of the financial reporting and forecasting processes, which are required to be fast, accurate, and transparent by the government.

The survey highlights that despite the government's push for digital transformation, many public sector procurement professionals are still using outdated and inefficient methods for managing suppliers and budgets. Read the full survey findings to understand the challenges faced and the report conclusion here

PSE August/September 2023

PSE August/September 2023

London mayor assisting with creative COVID recovery

Our  August/September 2023 edition of PSE brings you expert comment and analysis on a range of key public sector topics, from EV infrastructure to Digital transformation and reducing carbon emissions.

 

Learn how the role of local government in leading the data revolution or read all about the Manchesters landmark housing scheme, alongside so much more…

Videos...

View all videos
#PSE365: Public Sector Events

Be A Part Of It!

PSE365: Public Sector Virtual Events

PSE has created a full calendar of events to address the most important issues that influence the delivery of public sector services. 

 

Over 365 days you’ll have the opportunity to hear from a range of highly motivating, informative and inspirational speakers. These speakers will equip you with knowledge and unique insight to enable you to overcome the challenges that you face.

 

See our full events calendar and register now! 

Public Sector Executive Podcast

Ep. 44
LGBT in the workplace
with Carl Austin Behan

In episode 44 of the Public Sector Executive Podcast, host Dan Benn was joined by former Lord Mayor of Manchester, Carl Austin-Behan OBE. Carl spoke about everything ranging from his time in the RAF, being Manchester’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, and the important work he does now, with the LGBT Foundation.
 

More articles...

View all