Civil service must reinvent itself in order to build a civil service that is fit for the future.
Digital transformation is not just about new technologies, it in fact requires an overhaul of organisational structures, governance, work processes, culture and mind-set.
Digital technologies create opportunities to explore new models for providing services, improve management of resources and services they produce for citizens, boosting accountability and trust.
It realising a broader vision of relationships and business models that will reform how civil services function and only then civil service will capture the full benefits digital transformation bring to society.
Today’s citizens expect public services to be as personalized and responsive as the services they get from the private sector.
Civil service needs to adopt to a ‘people centric’ culture and mind-set in designing policies and delivering services.
Therefore, it is important that the leaders in the civil service commit and make the changes a central part of their management agenda involves personally in the effort by setting high aspirations, establishing a process for reviewing progress, holding the team accountable for delivering results, and sharing and replicating best practices with others.
The ultimate goal is to improve service quality, promote transparent and efficient interaction, enhance the level of public trust in government, and drive better citizen results.
However, if a leader is not willing to place ‘‘people centric’ service at the heart of his or her agenda, officials and employees at all levels of the government are unlikely to pursue the transformation consistently, and citizens are unlikely to see the value on their experience with government services.