If Govt wants to be a 'companion', stop using AI dross that can't answer the real questions that humans want answered. Provide human contact on a telephone, because humans CAN answer the questions that AI fail to answer. AI in customer service' is completely useless.
Wasn't the UK leading the world in online cross departmental digital services ten or so years ago until deparmental silo mentality saw it all shut down. What do you do when the biggest impediment to online joined up governement is ........ government. Any signs that Labour are better (sure early days) than the the austerity/small government/neoliberal approach from the previous government. Despite his record on education/Brexit/eye sight testing Dominic Cummings does have interesting thoughts on government reform including how to recruit capable people into government to implement these projects.
Really interesting. I worked on NHS Choices, businesslink.gov and direct.gov. I remember having this idea of a "digital gopher" which would ferret out information for you and bring back solutions. Private sector is now offering that "for free" with AI, with the known risk of the monetisation of our data.
I've a child going through the broken SEN system, so i'm seeing firsthand the huge missed opportunities of NOT having these sorts of companion services in place. And I'm afraid I don't think the private sector would do much better given healthcare economics. Anyway, thanks for writing
It has to be that the private sector can help drive better tech into the public sector, and overcoming the barriers to making this occur is important.
But I do have to say something about the general direction of the article.
Private sector services are defined by need, choice, and products/ services. Here services can be offered, compared, and costed.
The public sector is often different that it can be about offering a service, but the majority of it is about creating value to individuals, families, and communities. And digital is not good at creating value, as value creation is more of a complex interaction. Also, with the current state of the public sector, the underlying paradigm, design and principles of New Public Management are recognised as being the achilles heel of why we have increasing demands, costs, and poorer outcomes. And digital is not the arena that can resolve that type of reform, digital can only perpetuate the same.
Neighbourhoods are just that, neighbourhoods. I am not sure of by creating a platform to mimic a neighbourhood, that it will indeed grow such community aspects that we need and can be used for prevention.
Perhaps, yes we need digital, but should we not be having this discussion with regard to the actual reform that is needed in our public sector?
Agree that this is only one part of the story, and certainly a platform can’t do much to make a neighbourhood thrive. But I still find it odd how hard it is to find out anything about what’s happening in my street. And quite a few of the public digital examples I cite from around the world clearly did create a lot of value however you measure it.
Yes, what you describe sounds like a digital platform that is created by the community for the community. As part of a wider effort. Makes lots of sense.
Libraries and community centres, youth clubs, social groups, women's institute, etc. Until recently when they vanished from community ownership, used to provide much of this. As well as perhaps one of the most important - the pub! There are now places that are attempting to recover these community gathering places, but austerity still holds firm.
I once spoke at a conference with someone who helped conceptualize a New Zealand site for women who are considering or in the process of having a baby. https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/ I believe it fits your criteria: personalized and empowering. It links advice to services from four government departments in a very friendly design. It does not look like a govt website. I must assume it is based on research or insights on the fears, issues and questions that many women faced at different stages of pregnancy. There is even a section on "Being a Dad" to get the men thinking about what type of 'dad' they want to be.
If Govt wants to be a 'companion', stop using AI dross that can't answer the real questions that humans want answered. Provide human contact on a telephone, because humans CAN answer the questions that AI fail to answer. AI in customer service' is completely useless.
Wasn't the UK leading the world in online cross departmental digital services ten or so years ago until deparmental silo mentality saw it all shut down. What do you do when the biggest impediment to online joined up governement is ........ government. Any signs that Labour are better (sure early days) than the the austerity/small government/neoliberal approach from the previous government. Despite his record on education/Brexit/eye sight testing Dominic Cummings does have interesting thoughts on government reform including how to recruit capable people into government to implement these projects.
Really interesting. I worked on NHS Choices, businesslink.gov and direct.gov. I remember having this idea of a "digital gopher" which would ferret out information for you and bring back solutions. Private sector is now offering that "for free" with AI, with the known risk of the monetisation of our data.
I've a child going through the broken SEN system, so i'm seeing firsthand the huge missed opportunities of NOT having these sorts of companion services in place. And I'm afraid I don't think the private sector would do much better given healthcare economics. Anyway, thanks for writing
It has to be that the private sector can help drive better tech into the public sector, and overcoming the barriers to making this occur is important.
But I do have to say something about the general direction of the article.
Private sector services are defined by need, choice, and products/ services. Here services can be offered, compared, and costed.
The public sector is often different that it can be about offering a service, but the majority of it is about creating value to individuals, families, and communities. And digital is not good at creating value, as value creation is more of a complex interaction. Also, with the current state of the public sector, the underlying paradigm, design and principles of New Public Management are recognised as being the achilles heel of why we have increasing demands, costs, and poorer outcomes. And digital is not the arena that can resolve that type of reform, digital can only perpetuate the same.
Neighbourhoods are just that, neighbourhoods. I am not sure of by creating a platform to mimic a neighbourhood, that it will indeed grow such community aspects that we need and can be used for prevention.
Perhaps, yes we need digital, but should we not be having this discussion with regard to the actual reform that is needed in our public sector?
Agree that this is only one part of the story, and certainly a platform can’t do much to make a neighbourhood thrive. But I still find it odd how hard it is to find out anything about what’s happening in my street. And quite a few of the public digital examples I cite from around the world clearly did create a lot of value however you measure it.
Yes, what you describe sounds like a digital platform that is created by the community for the community. As part of a wider effort. Makes lots of sense.
Libraries and community centres, youth clubs, social groups, women's institute, etc. Until recently when they vanished from community ownership, used to provide much of this. As well as perhaps one of the most important - the pub! There are now places that are attempting to recover these community gathering places, but austerity still holds firm.
I once spoke at a conference with someone who helped conceptualize a New Zealand site for women who are considering or in the process of having a baby. https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/ I believe it fits your criteria: personalized and empowering. It links advice to services from four government departments in a very friendly design. It does not look like a govt website. I must assume it is based on research or insights on the fears, issues and questions that many women faced at different stages of pregnancy. There is even a section on "Being a Dad" to get the men thinking about what type of 'dad' they want to be.
An alternate website link is https://smartstart.services.govt.nz/stage/pregnancy#card174