8 | | MARCH - 2022IN MY OPINIONNew Zealand is a modern western, democracy and active member of the international community. Our public services face many technology challenges. Of these some are the same as private sector organisations (e.g., legacy technology, short term investment cycles, disruptive new technologies).In many countries public services are fractured and siloed between and within agencies. This contributes to a poor user experience, lack of innovation for economic or social gain, and to mistrust in government. There is growing tension between calls to makegovernment data and processes available for economic gain against the need to protectcitizen privacy. Companies and NGOs see opportunities to use government data, which can include personal information, as a basis upon which to innovate new services for their customers. However, many countries have privacy laws that restrict the use of personal information to the purposes it was gathered for. Over and above this governments have a responsibility to protect citizen privacy.Increasingly citizens tend to view government as one entity despite it being composed of many agencies. Many citizens express frustration at having to navigate and integrate disparate public services and expect government to be more `joined up'. The impact of this cannot be understated. One report in New Zealand showed that some families in poverty interacted with more than a dozen agencies in an average week, often having to provide the same information each time. This becomes a burden on families, potentially locking them into poverty cycles.In addition, some government services are developed for the benefit of the society at large rather than the individual citizen, for example law enforcement. This can contribute to another increasing challenge faced by public sector agencies. A lack of trust in government and the delivery of public services. The covid pandemic has shone a light on how misinformation can breed mistrust in governments and the services they provide. This is a growing problem for governments that is complex and difficult to solve. However, there is an emerging digital opportunity for public digital technologists globally to exploit.While digital technologies cannot fully address these challenges, they can serve as an enabler. They can deliver a more seamless, transparent digital experience for citizens that can also unlock government data and processes for economic innovation. Government as a PlatformPublic sector technologists can work to create a digital ecosystem that enables Government as a Platform. Sufficiently authorised people and organisationscan use this platform to curate their experience and innovate to create new services. Flexible APIs, B2B and B2C identity services, security management, service management, and clear data models as the core technology layer can create a `plug and play' environment that can be innovated on. Central government agencies can support agency and private sector service development by creating clear standards and guidelines for LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SERVICESBy Matt Mansell, Director, Products and Services Design, Ministry of Justice, New ZealandMatt Mansell
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