Boosting innovation in the UK public sector

The rate of innovation in the UK dipped 3.7 points between 2011 and 2022, according to The Global Economy. Organisations are putting less focus on realising new ideas.

This is a potential pain point for those in the public sector, where a lack of innovation poses a serious threat to the essential services we all need and use every day. If these are no longer fit for purpose, citizens—and societies—will be left with outdated processes at best, and inaccessible services at worst.

Obstacles to innovation

With UK government debt nearly 100% of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the BBC, budgets are shrinking and pressure is growing for public organisations to deliver essential services with limited resources. Improving these services is an intrinsic part of innovation, but a reliance on outdated infrastructure and cumbersome processes makes this increasingly difficult.

A recent assessment by the UK government’s digital unit, Central Digital and Data Office, found 153 legacy systems across 16 public departments, The Register reports. Legacy systems exacerbate the financial limitations of the public sector and hinder services by leaving efficiency gains on the table.

Attracting the necessary talent is also a sticking point. T​​​​op-quality employees often aren’t interested in roles that force them to battle with outdated infrastructure on a daily basis. Modern systems are critical to attract and retain the brightest minds to help build service improvements.

According to a recent study by ServiceNow, 88% of UK consumers deem seamless service an important or very important aspect when using customer service. Public sector organisations that still rely on outdated systems will have to work harder and smarter than their private counterparts to achieve the demanded level of service.

How automation can help

Technology will play a vital role in balancing budget and talent constraints, while fostering innovation and providing seamless services. Automation can help eliminate manual, time-consuming processes and free staff from routine tasks—empowering them to focus on higher-value activities such as creative problem-solving.

Picture a local government office, for example:

• The office requires citizens to visit in person to handle paperwork and applications.
• An automated approach would enable citizens to submit applications online and then automatically validate and process those applications themselves.
• Citizens could enjoy a simple, efficient application process from the comfort of their homes.
• Office staff would be freed from the tedious manual verification process, giving them more time to spend on personalised interactions with citizens and complex inquiries.

The potential of low-code technology

While automation can speed up processes and free staff, the public sector cannot rely on this technology alone to drive innovation. Getting the most out of employees means ensuring every staff member can engage and contribute towards new ideas and solutions.

One way to do this is through low-code technology. By empowering individuals at all levels to create applications and digitise processes for better services, low-code can help make innovation a collective effort.

Although traditional development cycles take a considerable amount of time and resources, low-code allows teams to quickly test ideas with limited technical knowledge. This way, public sector organisations can maintain a steady pace of innovation and keep up with evolving citizen expectations.

Best practices for low-code

Low-code platforms, however, require careful implementation and ongoing improvement. Platforms advance, and so should the skills of those using them. Consistent training and educational resources are essential to ensure employees stay aligned with platform updates, best practices, and emerging trends in low-code development.

As low-code paves the way for widespread application development, maintaining governance and security is crucial. Without the right guardrails in place, scaling app creation can lead to a sprawl of data silos and overlapping functionalities.

Clear guidelines for application development, data access, and security protocols will help ensure innovation is consistently aligned with the aims of seamless service and greater efficiency.

Low-code is already being successfully put into practice to drive innovation in public sector organisations across Europe, including at Nye Veier in Norway.

What successful innovation looks like

Multiple technologies are required to bring innovative service improvements to the public sector. A digital platform can provide a foundation for scaling capabilities, such as automation and low-code, across the organisation.

NHS Scotland exemplifies how to quickly foster innovation and provide more efficient services through a digital platform. Faced with the monumental task of vaccinating over 4 million citizens at the peak of the pandemic, NHS Scotland used the Now Platform to build an integrated vaccination workflow in just six weeks.

The organisation achieved its goal of vaccinating 2.5 million high-risk citizens in 12 weeks. And it exceeded expectations by completing the build two weeks ahead of schedule.

Seizing the innovation opportunity

Technology is an opportunity to buck the trend of declining innovation in the UK and help the public sector thrive. With a digital platform that scales automation and empowers every employee to develop solutions, organisations can foster a forward-thinking culture. Doing so not only meets citizen expectations, but also achieves more with limited resources—ensuring the continuity of essential services.

Discover how platform-based technology can drive innovation for your organisation.