Few verticals have been forced to adapt more over the last two years than local government institutions tasked with serving the public.
Local government is vital for delivering essential services, particularly to those most in need in our communities. The drive to adopt cloud-based technologies was certainly there before March 2020, but the transition undoubtedly accelerated.
The pandemic may feel largely behind us, but that doesn’t mean the pressure on local government has eased. Rocketing energy prices, inflation, stretched budgets, and strikes are all contributing to further tough times.
But in many ways, the innovation forced upon local government over the past couple of years has paved the way for further digital transformation.
RingCentral has been investing heavily in its local government operation and works closely with IT services provider SCC.
Olivia Harker, Local Government Branch Manager at SCC, said the two firms take a solutions-led approach to help local government through the plethora of challenges they face.
“When we talk to local authorities, we think about four things,” she said.
“What it means for the employee of the authority; what it means for the citizens; what it means for the green agenda; and what it means for the financial budget.”
There are huge implications around each of these four areas. In terms of employees, local authorities have historically offered work flexibility. Still, the impact of the pandemic mean that private sector organisations are also doing the same – increasing competition and staff turnover in a highly competitive labour market.
The fourth issue, relating to budgets, is arguably the most urgent in an increasingly challenging time. Like private sector companies, local government faces massive pressure from the sharp increase in energy prices.
However, local authorities have very little ability to raise extra funds throughout the year. This means it’s financial benefit to have more employees working remotely.
Ultimately, cloud technology can play a huge role in addressing each of the four boxes that local government needs to tick.
“What we’re seeing is the need to enable flexibility with a hybrid workforce,” said Emma Westland, Senior Strategic Partner Manager at RingCentral.
“The pandemic caught a lot of people out because they didn’t have the tools or ability to enable people to work from any location. This isn’t just about telephony, this relates to message, video and contact centre as well.”
“Local authorities are looking at better ways to engage with different generations of citizens, giving them the ability to communicate in the ways that they want to and give employees more flexibility around where they work.”
