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Urgency for the digital transformation of the public sector appeared during the outbreak of Covid-19 when it became impossible to pay bills or visit clinics offline. Today, numerous global initiatives are being used innovative technologies to modernize public services.
Georgia's online voter registration system in the US serves as an excellent example. It has proven effective, increasing turnout and improving access, leading to increased voter turnout.
Another example of technology in public services is New York City's CompStat police strategy, introduced in 2022. It helps reduce crime rates by analyzing data and predicting crime hotspots. Similarly, the United Kingdom's National Health Service (NHS) used data analytics to improve patient care outcomes and operational efficiency within hospitals. By March 2022, more than 300,000 people were waiting over a year for routine scheduled care, compared to just 1,600 people in February 2020 before services were significantly affected by Covid-19. By analyzing infection rates, hospital admissions and other health data, the NHS was able to allocate resources efficiently, forecast hospital capacity needs and identify hotspots that required immediate attention.
Outside the US, there are also notable examples. For example, Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 It includes public initiatives related to health, school, business, etc. As stated in the National Transformation Program 2022 report, the kingdom leads regionally and ranks the third globally in the World Bank GovTech Maturity Index 2022.
Singapore and Estonia are also among the leaders, thanks to their well-conceived strategies. The latter has a prominent e-health system for digital health records, which aims to improve patient care by digitizing medical information. Currently, over 99% of this data is digitized, enabling patients to access online care services such as video consultations, e-prescribing and automated life event notifications, facilitating clear patient-doctor communication and citizen involvement for more efficient health care .
Business opportunity
The expansion of digital government services presents great opportunities for businesses to develop products and services tailored to meet the needs of the public sector. Typically, this occurs within the framework of public-private partnerships (PPPs), enabling businesses to collaborate with government agencies to innovate and deliver solutions.
The GOV.UK Pay Digital Government Service platform serves as an example of the financial benefits for IT businesses involved in creating government service platforms. Over the past year, it has accessed 163 services and processed 23 million payments, treatment £1.3 billion in cash value.
However, getting a contract can be a challenging task. Governments globally struggle to fully embrace some technologies, such as the use of the cloud, for security reasons. According to explorative from KPMG, 69% of government respondents say a lack of understanding or confidence in innovation makes them less confident to invest in digital transformation. After all, public services collect reams of personal and private information about citizens, including their financial details, which makes them one of the prime targets for hackers. In January 2024 alone, there were 183 malicious incidents in this sector, including both ransomware attacks and data breaches.
This, in turn, makes it difficult to create quality services. The last data shows that only 60% of the US population is satisfied with digital public initiatives such as Medicaid, which helps cover medical costs for people with limited income and resources, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides nutritional benefits at low levels. -income families to supplement their food budget.
Connected: The potential of new government technology enterprises and their framework
Rules to be followed
How businesses can overcome insurance challenges government contracts for digital transformation projects? Here are some strategies:
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Demonstrate skills with pilot projects: Start by running a small pilot to demonstrate your ability to build a safe and effective tool.
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Efficient development and deployment: Prove that you can develop, test and deliver new products – and improve existing ones – quickly and cost-effectively. This requires building a robust infrastructure. It includes data platforms, authentication systems and cyber security measures. These components should be well designed to allow easy scaling of services.
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Leverage Statistics: Use data to support your case. For example, a 2023 study by Deloitte found that over half of Americans prefer to interact with their government online, with 23% doing so regularly. This trend highlights the need for mobile app development and can help prioritize areas for cybersecurity.
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Adopt zero tolerance for cybercrime: Implement security models that highlight continuous monitoring, third-party risk management and cloud security. This approach ensures that no actor or system is automatically trusted, making multi-factor authentication essential due to the various points at which data access can occur.
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Provide transparent and detailed proposals: Make sure your proposals are transparent and detail all aspects of your project, including timelines, costs and potential risks.
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Stay in compliance with the regulations: Ensure that your solutions comply with all relevant regulations and standards, such as data protection IT laws and government policies. This would demonstrate your commitment to protecting citizens' data.
Connected: How entrepreneurs can enter the government contracting space