TechUK Sets Out To Improve Industry And Government Relationship

TechUK, a representative body for digital companies and technologies, has launched a three point plan advising on the transformation of the delivery of public services.

The plan, a response to public and political concerns about the use of digital technology in government, was put together by both small and large tech suppliers that are techUK members.

The document sets out how industry intends to work with government to help ministers and officials experiment and innovate more successfully with technology.

It addresses issues such as the way Whitehall and the tech industry work together, particularly after an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) report highlighted that officials wanted better value via better relationships.

According to techUK, its plan can help bring the best of digital technology to government, in turn delivering better public services at greater value to citizens.

“This is all about bring the full power and potential of digital technology into the public sector and improving the lives of ordinary people,” claimed the organisation’s chief executive Julian David.

“As an industry we recognise that we can do better and we want to help. This plan is designed to do that by improving the way we work with government, flooding it with expertise and knowledge about digital technology and how the tech industry works.

“It will make government a more demanding customer and give it the ability to test new ideas and innovations safely without the fear of failure,” he added.

David also claims techUK wants to move forward in a positive manner with government and make this plan a reality.

The “prize,” he claims, is better public services and a public sector able to make crucial savings in age of austerity – something that benefits everyone.

The three points of the plan are as follows:

• better engagement so civil servants are supported earlier in the process with the knowledge they require to design effective technology services
• better information for standardised and transparent reporting so one scheme can be compared with another
• more innovation in the form as a techUK “innovation den” that acts as a test platform for new products.

Open Letter To John Manzoni

Ahead of the launch, techUK has penned an open letter to new Civil Service CEO John Manzoni which outlines the plan.

“As an industry, we recognise the scale of the challenge that lies before us,” claims the letter.

“This plan lays out how we will overcome that challenge and not just meet expectations, but exceed them,” it adds.

©24N.biz