Continuing our series of interviews with visionaries in technology for the public sector, we talk to Tim Rainey, Assistant Chief Executive ICT and Transformation at Tameside Metropolitan Council. He explains how customer services are being improved at Tameside through integration, and the obstacles faced by other authorities.

How does technology fit with the overall philosophy at Tameside?

We delighted to say that Tameside is now rated as one of the top 10 performing councils in the country. . Technology has definitely been an important factor in this.

But we’re not complacent and we don’t stand still. We know that citizen expectations continue to rise. At the same time we have an ageing population, which puts more pressure on social care and also on budgets. Despite this, we are determined to keep council tax as low as possible, and we’ve been successful so far: we are in the top 10 across the country for the lowest council tax rises.

We’ve always been very aware of the role ICT can play in modern councils, transforming and improving customer service at the same time as making the savings local authorities  have to deliver. But we also took the decision early on not to go down the outsourcing route. So we’ve got to deliver the savings ourselves in-house.

When considering any new implementation, our mantra is: “Is it better for the resident, better for the taxpayer and better for our staff?” That’s the acid test: it makes us stand back and think: “Why are we doing this?” It has to contribute to one – or if possible all – of those aims.

At the moment, one of the key areas is to integrate our disparate back office systems. This is also in response to government initiatives such as NI 14, to reduce avoidable contacts. And we are convinced that the steps we are taking to integrate our back office systems and provide better customer-facing services meet all three criteria: better for the resident by improving the service they receive; better for the taxpayer as it will slash costs by streamlining processes; and better for staff as they will be able to focus on less repetitive and more stimulating tasks.

What particular challenges do local authorities face?

Compared to the private sector, they face one enormous challenge. Commercial companies are usually focused on delivering one product or service, and can therefore approach technology in a much more focused way. Local authorities however have to deliver hundreds of services, and are therefore faced with masses of different and complex systems. Each of these may be from different vendors, and therefore to pull these together through a policy of integration is a huge challenge.

One thing that needs to change is the ‘silo mentality’ which is prevalent in many local authorities. Initiatives such as NI 14 need cross-authority integration and should be catalysts for change, and we’ve had to take all our departments with us on this. Judicious use of the management information generated by this programme will be one way to prove to service heads just what it does for our residents.

Why are some local authorities lagging behind?

At Tameside, we are very fortunate to have an enlightened Chief Executive. She understands the importance of customer services and champions it openly and consistently: she acts as our standard bearer. She sees that, no matter how good back office systems are, if the front line is poor then customers will have a poor perception of the services we are delivering.

Other authorities  may have Chief Executives who are not so attuned to the customer service agenda – they have different priorities. Customer services managers need to get these Chief Executives on side, reminding them they are going to be judged on the indicators issued by government. So, for example, they should be using NI 14 to get engagement from the top level as well as using it as a tool for improvement.

Are suppliers keeping up with the demands from councils to implement integration?

We’ve been lucky at Tameside because we developed our own CRM system, so our integration plans haven’t been held back by specific vendors.  Many authorities  chose to go down a different route, and sometimes this has proved to be a  problem: where the CRM vendors are  not able to keep pace with the demand for integrating the front and back office.

What about support from government?

There is plenty of support available from central government, in particular lengthy and comprehensive guidance, and as a result there is no reason for anyone not to understand what is possible and what is expected.  And there are plenty of initiatives, such as Government Connect, which are supporting the drive towards better services and sharing of information.

Our involvement in various groups including the NWeGG Customer Services Managers Group,  Local Government Delivery Council, Contact Council, the CTO Council, and the Local Government CIO Council has been invaluable. It’s given us a better understanding of what is on the horizon and where government thinking is going, as well as giving us an opportunity to shape and contribute. And we can use this experience for our own benefit to deliver better services for the residents of Tameside.

One project we’re working on at the moment is Tell Us Once, which will considerably reduce the burden on the bereaved when they inform the authorities about the death of a loved one.  I defy anyone not to be moved by the story of a  member of the public reporting the death of his father and describing the terrible process he had to follow when his wife died, and then recognise the value of NI 14.  Now, information can be shared securely via the GCSX network, updating all necessary back office systems across multiple agencies. You can’t eliminate personal contact entirely – there will always be some areas where people need to be informed in person – but this is an excellent example of how technology can really transform the service we offer our residents.