Local authorities across the UK have been actively pursuing digitalisation initiatives, but measuring their effectiveness and impact continues to prove challenging. The Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) sought a robust evaluation partner to assess the outcomes of over 60 local government digitalisation programmes funded through various projects. The challenge was to comprehensively review these local digital initiatives, gauge their impact, and provide insights for future policy decisions.
We are currently working with DLUHC - and a number of local councils - to conduct an in-depth evaluation of these digital programmes. This has involved using a multi-faceted analytical and research approach, collecting data from more than 100 local authorities, totalling over £80million in government funding. Our user-centred data collection methods have included surveys, interviews, and structured data requests. This rich dataset allowed us to create a proprietary digital model, assessing councils’ digital posture, skills, technology systems, working methods, and cyber security.
Our partnership with DLUHC - running until 2025 - has generated substantial insights into the progress and impact of digital maturity across local authorities in the UK. We have analysed the impacts of different funding pots on concrete service and council outcomes, sharing our findings widely across the sector. This initiative empowered DLUHC to make informed decisions about digital policy and funding allocation, shaping the future of local digital planning.
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Helping three councils to analyse their unstructured financial data to optimise spend, drive collaboration and measure sustainability performance
Working with the Cambridge City Council (CCC) to build a clear, actionable digital transformation strategy to ultimately serve its communities
Working with BEIS to enhance user engagement with digital services to drive its Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) initiative
Partnering with the BEIS to design and establish an effective digital policy engagement system to propel the energy sector toward a Net Zero future
Employing a user-centred and design-driven approach to enhance the Crown Commercial Service’s guidance to public sector buyers
Employing mixed-methods user research to pave the way for a forward-looking eProcurement and data strategy for the Welsh Government
Partnering with the Crown Commercial Service to facilitate the enhancement of the Government-wide Procurement Spend Data Service
Supporting the Frontline Digitisation team in the NHS to design a programme of support for hospitals purchasing and implementing electronic patient records (EPRs)
Partnering with the Local Government Association (LGA) to build a practical, user-friendly guide to help local councils put digitalisation into practice
A practical resource for governments looking to rethink sustainable procurement
Developing learning materials to embed cyber resilience into local government supply chains
In 2020 PUBLIC worked with the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) to assess barriers preventing procurement collaboration between London boroughs.
