Times have changed in the way society operates and the role of local government is changing with it. We are now in a digital age where the expectations of the public are quite different to what’s gone before. Everything is faster, sleeker and more accessible and for local councils, this creates new opportunities to engage more effectively with citizens.

 

Perhaps it’s not surprising, therefore, that more and more local authorities are using digital advances to improve services through redesign, demand management, and early intervention. But services need – more than ever – to reflect the genuine needs and priorities of local areas and local people. This demands real insight, not just via digital transactions, but also by harnessing the knowledge of our frontline teams, operating at the very heart of the community. And greater insight is fuelling the most significant changes in today’s town halls – new forms of commissioning that are a far cry from traditional procurement practices

 

This shift in focus and more refined approach to the commissioning of services is becoming particularly evident in the area of civil enforcement. This service area extends from face-to-face contact with citizens in their own locality, right through all of the legalities and processes to finally securing payments and debt recovery. As a consequence there are many potential stumbling points when it comes to maintaining service consistency across the different channels and – despite the negativity typically associated with the collection

of financial penalties – creating a positive experience for citizens. Getting ‘it’ right in the field of civil enforcement will contribute significantly to goodwill within the local community and support any broader initiative for devolution, community involvement and economic regeneration. New

forms of commissioning are helping to establish much more realistic, holistic and appropriate outsourced solutions – where an effective physical street presence is matched with the immediacy and popularity of online information and payment processing.

 

Quite rightly, the citizen is absolutely at the heart of this commissioning revolution, and it’s helping local authorities to focus on what matters most, the local community rather than the functionality of services, which can only promote more agile, responsive and sustainable ways of delivering local services.