Channel shift event introduction
The austerity measures have seen public sector organisations reduce headcount significantly, lose significant sums from their budget and have been requested to make astronomic savings (in some circumstances) over the next 3/4 years.
However, the organisations still have the same services to deliver to the citizen and much is being done to make this service delivery more streamlined, effective and ultimately efficient. Customer Service functions are being hit with huge savings figures to be responsible for and are looking to channel shift and self service as one of the ways in which they can start to deliver on their numbers.
This 1 day event looks at why public sector organisations should engage in a channel shift strategy and how efficiency and cost savings can be produced by providing services through channels where citizens can "self serve".
1. Social Media - building a business case
The adoption and usage of digital communication on numerous channels is widespread amongst citizens. However, some councils are struggling to identify technology and implement a successful strategy to utilise innovations that enable quicker and more engaging interactions between citizens and the council.
GOSS recently published a Public Sector Digital Communications and Social Media Survey that benchmarks public sector organisations' understanding and current trends in digital communication and social media. The insight can be used for a variety of purposes including creating a business case and to align to best practice.
The findings have been invaluable for organisations who wish to compare their digital communications and social media activity with others in the industry.
2. What are the foundations for effective channel shift?
These questions have to be answered before you can start to develop an effective channel shift strategy.
- What services do you provide?
- How do you provide each service?
- How do your customers interact with each service?
Without this critical knowledge it is not possible to develop a channel shift strategy.
At GOSS, working closely with clients, we have developed a free to use tool that will enable you to compile your service metrics into a single robust data set.
Through a simple web interface, officers can record metrics for each channel against the full set of LGSL services and interactions. The output allows you to identify priority services, top tasks, calculate ROI and develop an empirical business case for your channel shift strategy.
3. Value through User Experience design
If you commissioned or built a website in the last 10 years it is likely that the design decisions were based on just two things: what you thought looked cool and what you thought the stakeholders wanted to see.
Website interaction was based on what web managers thought worked - basically, they were designed for ourselves. The focus was on aesthetics and brand, with little thought of how citizens would want to use the website.
There was no science behind what was built. However as the web has matured, the websites that consistently stand out are the ones that just work. The fundamental driving factor of how GOSS build websites has become the experience we want to give the people who will use the websites.
Workshop presenter
Dave Witts @wittser
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Register here for the Public Sector Channel Shift Forum on Tuesday 7th February 2012, Sandy Way Conference Centre, Sandy Way, Exeter.
Event registration
