Deloitte Report Shows Government Digital Maturity around the World

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A new report from Deloitte's Public Sector Research group, "The Journey to Government's Digital Transformation," examines digital technology's ability to fundamentally transform the way the public sector operates and delivers services to citizens and offers strategies for government leaders to help accelerate the rate of their progress.

"Overall, we found that in order for digital technology to really take hold governments should be willing to re-imagine their services and continually innovate the way they engage with citizens," said William Eggers, director of public sector research at Deloitte Services LP. "While nearly all – 96 percent – of respondents said digital technologies are having a major impact on government, there are varying levels of maturity but much commonality on the obstacles holding many governments back."

The research team surveyed more than 1,200 government officials from more than 70 countries and interviewed an additional 130 government leaders and digital experts. The survey results revealed that governments across the world are at different stages in the digital transformation process. A small percentage of those surveyed fall into the "digitally maturing" category, while the large majority of governments are still in the early or developing stages of their digital transitions.

Key global findings:

• Only about 30 percent of respondents said their organization's digital capabilities were ahead of their public sector peers.
• Nearly 70 percent of respondents said they were behind the private sector.
• Respondents' overall satisfaction with their organization's current reaction to digital trends and their confidence in its readiness to respond to digital trends are both low.

Key U.S. findings:

• Respondents from the United States revealed that their digital efforts are driven largely by cost and budget pressures, but are challenged by security concerns, competing priorities, and lack of funds.
• In fact, security concerns in the U.S. are a serious barrier for all government agencies surveyed, regardless of their level of maturity.
• About 61 percent of respondents say that digital trends are improving their organization's ability to respond to threats and opportunities.

Deloitte found public sector organizations at the forefront of using digital technologies tend to share a number of common characteristics, including a clear digital strategy, digitally savvy leadership, a workforce with the skills to realize their digital strategy, user-focused design, and a culture conducive to digital transformation.   

Many governments around the world share a series of barriers that can stall transformation: culture, procurement, workforce, and leadership. Three of the primary barriers common to digital transformation are insufficient funding, competing priorities and lack of a strategy.

In order to help accelerate digital transformation, public leaders should consider these five major areas:

• Developing a clear digital strategy
• User-centricity
• Culture
• Workforce skills
• Procurement

About Deloitte Research
Deloitte Research, a part of Deloitte Services LP, identifies, analyzes, and explains the major issues driving today's business dynamics and shaping tomorrow's global marketplace. From provocative points of view about strategy and organizational change to straight talk about economics, regulation and technology, Deloitte Research delivers innovative, practical insights companies can use to improve their bottom-line performance. Operating through a network of dedicated research professionals, senior consulting practitioners of the various member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, academics and technology specialists, Deloitte Research exhibits deep industry knowledge, functional understanding, and commitment to thought leadership. In boardrooms and business journals, Deloitte Research is known for bringing new perspective to real-world concerns.

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