Helen Crisostomo, VP Business Development at de Novo Solutions, explores how siloed systems and legacy technology are holding UK councils back and why integrated, data-driven approaches are essential to improving efficiency and delivering better public services.
Councils are among the most complex organisations in the UK, responsible for an average of 800 different services (according to the Local Government Association) from social care and schools to housing and highways.
Vastly ranging in size from a few dozen employees to tens of thousands, the average council employs 1,700 people – each with their own unique structure of departments and teams responsible for specific functions.
So, when it comes to making the best use of technology to ensure services are delivered to the public in a cost-effective, efficient and timely manner, there is no ‘one size fits all’ best practice model which can be followed. Each local authority develops its own system suited to its own structure. And the results are variable, with many councils reporting a lack of integration and cohesion between teams – and the Government’s Future Councils report citing ‘heavily siloed organisations’ as one of the major challenges facing the public sector.
Departmental silo
Two fundamental issues have deepened the problems faced by local councils in keeping up with the rate of technological advancement: many are still using legacy systems, which have required extensive customisation over the years they have been in place, meaning not only are individual councils utilising the same tools in different ways, so too are specific teams within the same authority. For departments whose functions are interlinked, such as Payroll and Finance, this can cause extensive problems when trying to analyse data, produce records for audits, and even in solving issues which require input from multiple teams.
Add to this the fact almost half of all councils report skills gaps when it comes to management supporting digitalisation (according to the Local Government Workforce Survey) and the result is the way staff utilise technology not only depends on customisation, but also on the proficiency of their team leader.
Taking all of this into account, it is easy to see why the Digital Local Government report states ‘department silos are commonplace in councils’ and the barriers this has created when it comes to Digital Transformation.
A myriad of challenges result from these silos, from duplicated efforts which contribute to overstretching of resources, to missed opportunities to collaborate where there are common issues across functions. It is not enough for each team to be working towards increased efficiency: cross-departmental communication and engagement are simply essential when it comes to precious resources, including staff time and skill.
The impact of integration
Against a backdrop of sustained economic pressures, transforming systems so that they can ‘talk’ effectively to one another needs to become a priority for councils. By doing so, authorities end up with one set of data rather than multiple and can automate tasks more effectively – both of which vastly reduce the administrative burden associated with legacy tech.
This not only frees up staff to focus on high value tasks, but also breeds opportunities to collaborate across departments, to find real efficiencies and deliver better services to the public. Starting off from a place where one set of data is used as the basis for all decision making is ultimately much more productive, and this enhanced collaboration also has its own impact on employee productivity and time saving according to 70% of employees surveyed by Alludo.
A collaborative council
Where silos exist, different departments are effectively operating as individual businesses – using different data sets and customised systems to make decisions with little to no collaboration with the department sitting in the next office. In reality, they are one cog in a machine – and if none of the cogs are turning in the same direction, then it is no wonder the machine is struggling to work efficiently. It is time to get rid of the metaphorical barriers which have been built up, enabling each team to work in this isolated manner – and instead build and implement systems which encourage a cross-departmental approach to decision making.
Systems that can communicate and co-exist harmoniously are a step in the right direction, but the ultimate aim must be integrated systems – which foster cultural cohesion, empowering shared understanding and consistent training. With teams using the same systems in the same way, analysing the same data, and receiving the same training, this becomes much more of a reality than is currently playing out in council offices up and down the country.
True collaboration is not an overnight solution, it requires a deep dive into the tools each team needs in order to work effectively, and the design and roll-out of a comprehensive roadmap which focuses on minimising siloed working. But without implementing the right tools, we will continue to see fragmented decision making, duplication of work, and an overstretching of already limited resources.
If we are asking councils to drive efficiencies, to merge with other authorities as part of the local government reforms, and to work as productively as possible, then we must encourage them to work as one organisation, not as separate entities. If councils are to deliver the unified, data-driven services citizens expect, investing in genuinely integrated systems isn’t optional anymore, it’s foundational.
