Rethinking managed ICT services as a foundation for digital transformation

The challenge is securing the time, resources and expertise needed to make that happen. Internal ICT teams still have to keep essential, secure services running every day, while demands for technology adoption continue to grow. Digital transformation projects cannot simply wait until there is a lull in the workload of day-to-day service operations. For most public services organisations, that day may never come.

This is where a managed service approach can help balance the conflicts of day-to-day operations and major new initiatives that have the potential to transform service delivery. There can still be a concern that bringing in a managed service provider means handing over control. Yet long-term partnerships across the public sector organisations show that the approach can work very differently. Internal teams stay close to the organisation and its strategic priorities, while drawing on specialist expertise, service management discipline and additional capacity when they need it.

Working with a managed service provider does not require an organisation to distance itself from its ICT. Internal teams still understand their organisation, its people and its operational priorities. That knowledge matters. The role of the provider is to work alongside it and bring in specialist support, governance and service management capability where it can make a difference.

East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service offers a good example. Its ICT transformation programme was designed to give the service greater control over its technology, supported by a more collaborative way of working. The programme was facilitated by a Managed Service provider that took on the delivery of existing services. This included establishing a Target Operating Model to help the service identify ways to make use of new technologies, improve interoperability and support strategic goals. By taking responsibility for day-to-day service delivery, the managed service also created more capacity to focus on improvements that could make a practical difference to frontline operations.

That approach has led to practical changes. Site Specific Risk Information is used by firefighters to understand the risks associated with particular buildings and locations. Previously, collecting and processing that information involved a manual process, and it could take up to seven days for new information to become available. Moving the process online gave the service greater control over the information being collected and helped make it available more quickly.

It is a relatively simple example, but an important one. The value of digital change is much easier to see when it is measured by the operational improvements for the people actually using the technology.

For public sector organisations, retaining control should not automatically mean maintaining every capability in-house. It is about making informed decisions over how technology supports the service, manages risk and delivers value, with the right expertise available to turn those decisions into practical improvements.

That becomes harder when an ICT team's attention is constantly being pulled towards immediate operational demands.

Technology keeps changing, which means the expertise required to implement it as well as support it changes too. A managed service can give an organisation access to specialist knowledge when it needs it, while providing additional resources to support transformation, service transition and ongoing improvement work.

That can create much-needed space for internal teams. Rather than every new project and business requirement competing with the daily workload, there is more capacity to plan ahead, manage risk and align technology decisions to organisational outcomes.

And there will always be a daily workload.

Public sector organisations cannot put existing services on hold while they transform them. For emergency services in particular, technology supports people doing critical work every day. Systems need to remain available, secure and resilient, and users still need responsive support, regardless of what technology transformation is happening in the background.

Digital change is also much easier when the day-to-day ICT service operations underpinning it are stable, secure and well managed. If teams are constantly reacting to problems in the existing environment, it becomes much harder to devote attention to improving it. Keeping the day-to-day service running well creates the breathing room needed to introduce change without losing sight of the people already relying on that technology.

One mistake public sector organisations can make is thinking too much about what they need from a managed service on day one.

The immediate requirements obviously matter. But technology, cyber threats and service expectations will move on during the life of a contract, and the organisation will change with them. Priorities shift and different skills are needed. Technology that works well today may also reach a point where replacing it makes more sense than continuing to maintain it.

Flexibility needs to be part of the relationship from the start. A provider should bring ideas, service performance insight and relevant expertise into the conversation, while looking for ways the service could add additional value over time. This also gives internal teams an opportunity to look ahead and consider whether their technology is keeping pace with the organisation.

That becomes even more important when there are wider digital transformation plans. Change rarely happens in one big leap. Organisations need the freedom to introduce new technology when it makes sense, adjust their approach, maintain good governance and respond to priorities that may not have existed when the original contract was signed.

For public sector leaders, it is worth looking beyond the immediate requirements when choosing a provider. Think about where the organisation could be several years from now and whether the relationship has enough flexibility, governance and continual improvement focus to support that journey.

All of this brings the conversation back to the people delivering public services.

Technology should make their working lives easier. The same applies to the ICT teams behind it. If most of their time is spent responding to immediate demands, finding the capacity for meaningful digital change will remain difficult.

Giving those teams access to additional expertise, capacity and service management insight can help change that. It gives them more room to look ahead, while keeping the knowledge and priorities of the organisation close to the decisions being made.

Success is ultimately felt beyond the ICT department. It is front line staff, having the information and systems they need sooner or public sector teams being able to work more effectively because the technology supporting them is reliable and readily available. It is internal IT leaders who have more time to think about what comes next. And it is technology doing its job quietly in the background, so the people delivering vital public services can spend more of their time focused on the communities relying on them.