Why business leaders are essential partners for public sector reform
The best entrepreneurs are adept at change , they are able to seamlessly direct their company in the right direction, evolving and growing over time whilst also honing their capabilities around predicting what the next big transformation may involve.
It’s something which has set private sector leaders apart from their public sector counterparts, for whom continuity, tradition and a network of regulations and guidelines have always taken precedence over the need to keep ahead of the curve, in order to remain commercially viable.
Until now.
Rarely has there been such a period of shift in the public sector, with councils, police forces and educators all looking to respond to rising challenges, replace ageing technology, and keep afloat despite a complicated economic picture.
So, that’s exactly why they must turn to corporate leaders for support, strategy and partnership, ridding themselves of the notion that their private sector suppliers are simply offering them a product or service – and instead taking their lead from those who have spent years successfully evolving and scaling.
The public sector challenge
Around £14 billion of efficiencies must be found by 2028/29 according to the latest Spending Review, prompting a real need for transformation , as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Alongside the well-documented financial pressures public bodies have found themselves confronted with, the demands of the public have adapted over time too: people expect councils, schools and police forces to utilise technology more widely than ever before, all while maintaining the highest standards of service and customer support.
The Government’s policing reform white paper sets out the biggest shake-up since ‘modern’ forces were established in the 1820s; local authorities are mid-way through their own reform process; and education is also going through changes of its own, with a particular spotlight on post-16 and SEND provision.
And it is not just the structure and efficiency of these organisations which is being scrutinised, they are also being asked to revolutionise their digital offering, bringing their technology use in line with the private sector as per Government and public expectations , underscoring why advice, support and partnerships with corporate leaders will be so essential going forward.
Creating parallels through partnership
Whilst entrepreneurial skills and those required to run a police force or multi-academy trust are distinct from each other, there are operational areas within every public sector organisation which could benefit from the expertise, knowledge and additional delivery capacity which comes from a business partnership. And that does not simply mean outsourcing a service or buying in a product , it means working together to ensure new services and transformation projects are co-designed; it means knowledge being transferred to in-house staff; and it means adopt.
