Global back-office operations, staffed by mobile and multi-skilled employees: is this the future of public service delivery?


On behalf of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) I am delighted to provide this foreword and to have supported this seminar series. At TCS we are convinced more than ever that the current era of public service transformation will require new thinking and innovative global solutions, which utilise a flexible, mobile and highly capable workforce.

We are grateful for the important contributions of Tim Jones, Chief Executive Officer at the National Employers Savings Trust (NEST), Mark Harper MP, Minister of State for Immigration and Hon Bernard Jenkin MP, Chair of the Public Administration Select Committee, as well as all of the other organisations who participated.

The seminars were very thought provoking and topical, and I am pleased to have contributed to the debates on these critical issues. Our experience working with both governments and the private sector globally is that where the challenges are really understood and the solution energetically embraced, transformation gives rise to service improvement and cost savings. In many respects, the challenges currently faced by governments all over the world are similar to those that have been faced by the private sector for many years, whereby organisations must evolve if they are to succeed over their competitors. Although the same pressures do not apply to governments, it is clear that other parallels with the private sector hold true. Technology-enabled business change has been at the forefront of tackling the often conflicting priorities of cost reduction and service improvement.

Within the UK Public Sector, TCS is partnering with central and local government to deliver technology-enabled transformation of: pensions administration services for the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), casework management for the Child Maintenance Group (CMG), back-office processes for Cardiff City Council, grants administration for the Big Lottery Fund, and criminal record and barring checks for theHome Office’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). 

The Benefits of Leveraging Global Solutions and Experience

The UK is not unique in needing to transform services and reset the relationship between the state and the citizen. Across the world organisations are adapting and providing citizens with more personalised services, such as new mobile payment systems for Indian farmers or the use of self-service kiosks for probation management in New York. The UK should look globally for the design and delivery of new approaches and import expertise when it does not exist nationally.

A key benefit of global delivery is speed – i.e. the ability to scale up and deliver complex projects to tight deadlines. Within this approach, the ability to exploit skills availability and existing assets, such as operational delivery centres, is critical, wherever they may be in the world. By harnessing our global delivery model to support our thousands of permanent UK staff, TCS has been able to transform public services in the UK.

The Open Public Services White Paper provided a clear indication that the Civil Service is ready to embrace global solutions, where they are appropriate to the needs of users. We heard from Tim Jones, the Chief Executive of National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), about how adopting a global approach to delivery has helped to ensure the effective administration of millions of pensions’ accounts and hundreds of thousands of employer-customer relationships to deliver Reform-Tata Consultancy Services seminar series auto-enrolment for workplace pensions. It is clear that there are an increasing number of examples whereby a global sourcing approach has delivered benefits to government departments within the UK.

The value of workforce flexibility and mobility

Businesses of all varieties consider international labour mobility to be critically important for the UK economy and creating growth. Clients demand a blend of skills and experience that cannot always be sourced from the UK’s existing workforce and global solutions require access to the world’s best and brightest people.

We welcomed the pledge from the Minister of State for Immigration, Mark Harper MP, that the Government will maintain a stable position on immigration policy in this Parliament. Settled and
consistent immigration policy is vital for any organisation seeking to invest in the UK.

A critical concern is the need for policy-makers to accept the distinction between different kinds of immigration. Economically active migrants are an asset to the UK, providing tax, national insurance and other revenues to the Treasury.

Approximately half of TCS’ workforce in the UK is made up of UK nationals. On average, the remainder are resident in the UK for less than a year, in which time they implant specialist knowledge, purchase goods and services and contribute to the UK economy. Businesses and policy-makers must support global talent by clearly distinguishing and valuing this type of labour mobility.

The role of the Civil Service

The fundamental question which needs to be confronted in every government department is how do you define its core function? What are the functions that only the Civil Service can fulfil and then
conversely, what functions lend themselves to alternative forms of public service delivery? Although these may be difficult questions for the Civil Service to ask itself, once they have been considered officials are in a position to assess a range of delivery models – joint ventures, mutual or cooperatives, outsourcing to the private sector or engaging third sector organisations – to determine which model will deliver the best outcome to citizens.

These questions of operational delivery and capability should not be obscured by debates about leadership and governance, which are important but distinctly separate. It is clear that there are many functions delivered by the Civil Service require specialised knowledge and expertise that are not available in the private sector. Equally there are many areas of the Civil Service that could benefit from alternative approaches and new delivery models.

Whatever the conclusion, it is clear from this series of discussions that global delivery models and better use of technology will be pivotal in the future. At TCS we look forward to continuing to contribute to this very important topic of transforming public services.

To read 'Open public services in a global marketplace', please click here

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