Citizens have high expectations for government services, but agencies and departments are, according to PwC Australia’s Citizen Survey 2022, falling back into pre-pandemic delivery models.
In fact, the PwC survey found citizens are less likely to agree governments are exceeding their requirements in 2022 as compared to the same time last year.
It’s for this reason, says James Enoch, RVP and Head of Public Sector, APAC, Slack, agencies and departments need to start thinking (and acting) like start-ups, bringing together agility, teamwork, and rapid iteration into the delivery of government services.
“I think the key thing we’ve seen with organisations like Service NSW is they think like product organisations,” he says. “It’s all about fast iteration and rapid delivery to create meaningful outcomes for citizens.”
Agencies and departments that think like tech companies make themselves more relevant to taxpayers, with the added benefit of citizens being more willing to share their data. This creates a virtuous circle where the increased amount of data being shared allows agencies to better understand citizens, giving them the to build long-term responsive and resilient government services.
Think like a start-up to provide better services
The next wave of government service delivery will be dominated by software, so the question is whether this makes an agency a software shop?
There is obviously a massive difference between Amazon or Apple and a government department, but the outcome is largely the same: deliver better services through fast iteration and trial and error.
The products being offered must constantly evolve to meet changing expectations in the market, which is why agencies with citizen-facing services need to bring a start-up mentality to the way they develop software.
Part of this is using the right digital tools. “Organisations who use Slack as part of their product delivery ship code faster,” says Mr Enoch. “They’re sixteen per cent faster at bringing products to market.”
Along with faster delivery, those same organisations have an eighteen per cent reduced cycle time, meaning they’re able to iterate faster, as well as a thirty-seven per cent increase in productivity when they have three or more applications integrated.
“This delivers results for citizens faster,” he says. “We saw that in the last couple of years, how quickly government needed to bring product to market, which is something tech companies are familiar with.
“In the past this wasn’t an imperative for government,” he continues. “Now it’s critical.”
Start-ups need talent – so how can government attract the best and brightest?
One of the main motivations for public servants is their desire to make a difference in their communities. They want to help with real, concrete problems faced by citizens. And it’s this motivation which has spread into software development, both in the private sector and within government.
“There is an increased desire for a sense of purpose,” Mr Enoch says. “It’s all about producing genuine outcomes that affect the world.”
But the key for agencies and departments is allowing their product development staff to use the correct – and latest – tools and technologies as part of their work. This means developers can align themselves and their skills with a purpose which means something to the community.
“That combination is hugely important for technical professionals, and it’s the key strategic advantage that government departments have.”
Agencies have a funding advantage
A recent report from The Startup Genome found Australia’s start-up ecosystem is going gangbusters. Sydney rates in the top twenty cities around the globe for its start-up community, which is worth an estimated $24 billion. Melbourne, which falls outside the top twenty, is still doing well, with an estimated value of $10.5 billion.
One area where agencies and departments have an advantage over a traditional start-up (even if they are adopting start-up working methods) is in their funding surety.
“Although department funding goes in cycles, they have the luxury of forward predictability in terms of funding which many start-ups don’t,” says Mr Enoch.
This creates an opportunity for government to deliver product quickly and iteratively, so long as they can learn to think like a start-up. If they can do this, a department can use its funding to plan out many deliverables over a long period of time instead of staking its fate on one big launch.
“So breaking things down into smaller units and continuously delivering over time is one thing government can learn from start-ups, while still having predictability in terms of funding.”
With citizen expectations increasing and major government projects increasingly being software, it’s vital departments and agencies learn to think in an agile, iterative way, just like start-ups do.
And with their sense of purpose and delivering outcomes for the community, departments can attract the best talent, so long as they have the right tools and technologies designed to allow those developers to deliver long term.
