54% of UK citizens believe that the gathering and use of personal data should be regulated more closely by the government, according to new research.
The findings, from Fujitsu’s Driving a trusted future in a radically changing world report, also reveal that:
- 26% of public sector leaders say they have not felt the benefit of digital transformation despite investing significantly
- 67% of public sector leaders feel their organisation will never be able to fully satisfy public expectations
- 48% of public sector leaders feel that organisations are put under too much pressure to drive society forward
Fujitsu’s ‘Driving a Trusted Future in a Radically Changing World’ report surveyed 600 organisation leaders and 2,000 members of the UK public, shows that while citizens are demanding consumer-style experiences in their engagements with public services, citizens are concerned about how their data is used.
The biggest concerns centre around sharing their personal data (35%), lack of trust in how organisations use their personal data (34%) and doubts about the reliability of technology (31%).
When it comes to meeting expectations, over two thirds (67%) of leaders say they are concerned they will never fully satisfy citizens’ expectations and a further 48% feel that that organisations are put under too much pressure to positively drive society.
Of all industries (including financial services, retail, manufacturing, transport and utilities) the public sector has seen the least benefit from digital transformation, with a quarter reporting no benefit at all (26%) from technological advances. However, over three quarters (76%) of public sector leaders say that technology is vital to the future success of their organisations. This points to a need for the public sector to assess its digital progress and look for the strategic initiatives that will set up public sector for the future.More positively, leaders of public sector organisations are confident. A third (66%) of them feel positive about the changes that their organisation is likely to experience in the next five years, with three in five (61%) saying that technological innovation (for example AI, mobile, automation) has positively impacted their organisation.
When looking at the public sector’s sense of purpose, it’s clear those professionals feel a duty to care for citizens above all else; most say that they are there to have a positive impact on life in the UK (37%) and provide a brilliant service (27%). To achieve this, technology will be key, as three quarters (76%) maintain that technology is vital to the future success and health of their organisation.
Patrick Stephenson, Client Managing Director Central & Devolved Government at Fujitsu said: “The rapid technological change in the UK is clearly having a profound impact on citizens, the public sector and the relationship between them. What we need to ask ourselves is “how can the public sector satisfy citizens’ expectations?” For this to happen, the public sector needs to radically change the way it engages with citizens and use data to build trust, which as we know is so easily lost in a digital world.
“The public needs to feel empowered and in control when it comes to their own data and how they choose to share it. We have already seen progress with the government taking responsibility for regulating the use of personal data since the introduction of the GDPR, but there’s still a way to go. Allowing citizens control of their own data is one way to build trust and help the public sector to modernise, digitise and begin to offer the connected experiences that citizens are demanding – Fujitsu call this ‘Citizen Z’.”