CIOs are responsible for accelerating digital transformation as the workplace and people evolve, supporting PAs to achieve their goals
Riverbed, a leader in Unified Observability, presented the results of the Global Digital Employee Experience (DEX) Survey 2023 for the public sector. The survey found that public administrations are experiencing a transformation aimed at improving the Digital Experience of employees and citizens to increase staff productivity, attract and retain talent and achieve the desired results. This transformation is also crucial to address industry challenges, including the acceleration of hybrid working and skills shortages in a rapidly evolving work environment.
Evolution in step with today's employees
Ogni settore affronta una carenza di talenti, e il settore pubblico non fa eccezione. Con il passaggio generazionale, una nuova ondata di lavoratori nativi digitali, Millennial e Gen Z, subentra con aspettative elevate riguardo alla tecnologia e alla Digital Experience. Infatti, l’86% dei leader del settore pubblico intervistati ritiene che sarà necessario offrire esperienze digitali innovative con l’ingresso dei nuovi collaboratori.
New areas of investment include Unified Observability platforms, which can offer a viable DEX by providing visibility, AI and actionable insights across all infrastructures; 74% of public sector IT professionals believe that Unified Observability, combined with greater automation, can help close the skills gap. Furthermore, new investments are expected to support the hybrid working model: 49% of public sector employees already work in this modality and 92% of leaders surveyed say that hybrid working improves their ability to attract talent and remain competitive. As a result, 83% of leaders plan to invest in technology in the next 12-18 months to support this way of working.
The survey showed how 58% of the leaders interviewed believe that not satisfying the DEX needs of the new generations could create a negative impact or damage to the reputation of their organization, while 63% agreed that collaborators could decide to resign if they did not enjoy perfect digital experiences.
The role of CIOs in the Public Sector is changing
As CIOs are consulted on strategic decisions that impact hiring and productivity, they are expected to have a greater role at the board level as well. 81% of decision makers surveyed recognize the growing importance of IT within their organization's leadership committee. Furthermore, 89% agree that IT is increasingly involved in driving innovation compared to three years ago. IT and leaders are challenged to make targeted investments and implement technologies that support strategic objectives, without adding additional complexity.
Greater Interest in AI and Cloud
Research on digitalisation in the public sector conducted by Deloitte states that the ultimate objective of public administrations must be to move from afare’ digital all''to be' digital, which means elevating the human experience. Human-centered design and advanced technologies such as AI, cyber and cloud are used to radically improve service delivery by transforming operating models.[1] McKinsey agrees, stating that 'by digitizing processes and making organizational changes, PAs can improve services, save money and improve the quality of life of citizens' [2] and the Global Government Forum identifies digital transformation as one of the top four priorities for 2024 [3].
This aligns with the Riverbed survey – 80% of public sector leaders are planning rapid adoption and implementation of solutions to improve the digital experience. Additionally, the Survey found that cloud (44%), AI (38%) and automation (33%) will become critical priorities in the next 18 months. Unified Observability uniquely blends all of these technologies providing holistic visibility across physical and virtual environments, as well as additional capabilities that improve productivity through AI and automation. 88% of the sample agrees that Unified Observability is important (for 45% it is fundamental) to provide DEX, and 87% say there needs to be a greater investment in Unified Observability solutions that provide actionable insights to improve the digital experience of collaborators.
“In public sector organizations, digital experience is more critical than ever today,” said Jeff Waters, Senior Vice President, Federal Sales at Riverbed. "However, as work dynamics evolve, Riverbed's Global DEX Survey found that it is becoming increasingly difficult for public sector leaders to ensure an adequate Digital Experience, with a substantial majority citing at least one major barrier to achieving an optimal DEX. Fortunately, public sector companies are investing in technology, including observability tools, AI and automation to overcome these challenges. With Riverbed's Unified Observability portfolio, public sector organizations can gain actionable insights and leverage automation to make data-driven decisions, achieve goals and improve the Digital Experience for citizens and public employees.”
The survey interviewed 1,800 IT decision makers (ITDMs) and business decision makers (BDMs) in 10 countries and seven sectors, including 100 leaders in the Energy and Utilities sector, analyzing generational expectations, the topic of hybrid work, the evolution of the role of IT, the challenges and strategies to offer an ideal DEX. The survey was conducted by Sapio Research in May 2023.
To analyze how IT executives are approaching the Digital Employee Experience, see the full report: riverbed.com/DEXSurvey2023.
At this link The infographic of the survey carried out on the public sector can be consulted.
[1] https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/our-thinking/insights/industry/government-public-services/government-digital-transformation-strategy.html [2] https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/public%20and%20social%20sector/our%20insights/transforming%20government%20through%20digitization/digital-by-default-a-guide-to-transforming-government-final.pdf[3] https://www.globalgovernmentforum.com/events/find-out-what-governments-top-priorities-in-2024/
