Hoping to smash personal bests this summer, the public sector’s working hard to see where it can bring in more ingenuity. Yes we’re seeing budget constraints all over the place, but by bringing in new technologies public sector organisations can deliver real personal benefits to the frontline.
PSN frameworks allow access to lists of the right suppliers for the job. When procuring services public sector organisations can use these lists to pick and choose which supplier they want. They might choose a supplier because they think they’re offering the most relevant service for their organisation for the best price. Working closely with the public sector, we’ve committed to a ‘one government, one customer’ approach. Using our nationwide fibre-optic network, public sector organisations can go further than traditional ICT and make a real difference to services for the people. They’re providing faster internet connections, more reliable telephone services and exciting interactive resources, such as video-conferencing in the classroom.
Some local councils are already using these frameworks to access goods and services. In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, a PSN is bringing in technology solutions for less. “HPSN2” is bringing organisations together, like fire services and schools, to help share resources. Shared investment and infrastructure is allowing them to get the bundle of services they need. The local council can now be more strategic about what’s purchased and it’s helping to promote collaboration and better communication.
Cambridgeshire County Council is another council that’s pushing boundaries to make sure it’s delivering the best possible services to staff and the local community. Its shared services initiative – CPSN – is improving services in the community while reducing county council network bills by a massive £1m each year. It’s doing that through faster, safer internet connections, more network capacity, and improved data, telephone and internet services. This spans across offices, schools, community centres and other public premises around Cambridgeshire.
Those services don’t just benefit schools, libraries and offices, but are helping to make lives better for the elderly and vulnerable. And by making it easier to share the services with partners, other resources and even premises can be shared too.
Times are tough at the moment – Britain’s stuck in the longest double dip recession in 50 years. But the examples above show innovation can still blossom in adversity. Those looking to win gold this summer would be wise to look at the PSN frameworks already in place to see how they too could benefit from what’s on offer for all.
