KPMG joined forces with the Public Sector Network to roll out the Local Government Transformation series. The face-to-face events spanned the breadth of the country from Adelaide and Brisbane to Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.
The series fostered a lively exchange of ideas among public sector leaders and professionals. It included a deep-dive into the core themes of connectivity and resilience, including what it takes to become a future-ready organisation in an ever-evolving world.
Polling questions prior to and during the event highlighted key obstacles and opportunities.
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Embracing connection and resilience for a futureproof local government
Top challenges for local government leaders
Local government leaders ranked the following challenges highly:
...said rising demand and expectations on services
...said extracting value from digital transformation
...said workforce capacity and resilience
...said dealing with cyber risks
- Be clear on the skills you need now and into the future, consider different ways to develop and attract those skills.
- Focus on building the capacity and capability to change.
- Take the time to invest in culture – it’s one of the most powerful ways to futureproof your organisation.
The thing I am most excited about in terms of the future of local government is working with more young people and seeing some changes in responses on how our community can evolve the services we develop based on a new generation of staff coming through.
Maria Pavlides
Bayside City Council (NSW)
- Start small and move fast. Be a ‘fast follower’ not an innovator.
- Focus on specific outcomes and chart a prioritised path to getting there.
- Digital is an enabler but requires purpose. Be clear on the problem you’re trying to solve.
- Digital transformation is ultimately about people, not technology.
I don’t think we can ever be truly innovative, we need to be fast followers, look at what has been done successfully elsewhere and consider its application in our context.
Siobhan Sullivan
Whitehorse City Council (VIC)
- Local governments are seeing trust within their communities eroded.
- Know what your most important digital assets are and take steps to protect them.
- Foster a culture that breeds trust internally and with your community– through consistency, integrity and empathy.
It is a real opportunity for local government to take an inside-out perspective on an intentional focus to building trust with communities to improve outcomes.
Amrita Bhattacharyya
Townsville Regional Council (QLD)
- Human-centred design ensures that the needs of the user are considered from start to end.
- Focus on experience as a key driver for realising improvements in productivity and freeing up time for more value-adding work.
Building a customer-centric culture is key. You’re only as good as your last interaction with a customer.
Stacey O’Toole
City of Melbourne (VIC)
Futureproofing local government with KPMG
We can help you harness technology to build a connected council − where your front, middle and back offices are aligned. By being more connected with your customers, partners and teams, you can respond quickly to evolving expectations and pivot to seize opportunities as they arise.
Our Connected Council Framework provides a roadmap for improved customer experience, seamless service delivery, aligned processes and functions – all underpinned by the latest fit-for-purpose technology.
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Embracing connection and resilience for a futureproof local government: Insights from the Public Sector Network Local Government Roadshow.
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