Dorset Council looking to increase AI use to 'streamline' services
It comes as the Government's pledges to 'win the global race' on tech
Dorset Council has vowed to increase the use of technology and AI to reduce operating costs and “streamline services”.
It is estimated to save the council £14.4 million but come at the expense of a ‘slimmer council’ with ‘fewer staff’.
Sir Keir Starmer has said today technology had the potential to revolutionise public services and turbocharge the economy.
Cllr Simon Clifford tells us the benefits of AI:
"How can AI save money where we're doing personal care for people? Well clearly it can't, but can AI make the administration of that service cheaper, better, more efficient - that's the areas we'll be looking at, how you run the organisation with AI, rather than customers or clients."
But there are concerns a lack of digital skills or poor broadband could hit Dorset Council’s plans to persuade more customers to ‘self-serve’ using improved technology, including artificial intelligence.
Councillors claim there are still pockets around rural Dorset where broadband is not fast enough to be useful – with up to a quarter of the population unable, unwilling or not able to afford internet services.
Much of Dorset Council’s transformation programme, to improve services while at the same time saving money, will be based about a wider use of technology to connect to the authority.
The programme is part of the ‘invest to save’ approach where spending on technology over the next year or two, should result in savings in the longer term.
Councillors have been told that in addition to buying the equipment needed the authority is also likely to have to buy in the expertise to go with it – not having enough of its own staff who are trained to deal with sophisticated public systems.
Cllr Sherry Jespersen warned that even if the figures for those who are willing or able to use technology now look reasonably good – they might not look so positive as the years pass by.
She warned that someone who might be OK with technology aged 70, might not be able to cope at 80, or 90 – and with Dorset’s average population already older than most counties, the ability, or willingness to use technology was likely to decline.
The staff union, Unison, has also criticised the high-tech path the council seems determined to set out on, for the same reasons, with fears over jobs losses for some officers have public-facing roles.
Weymouth councillor Dr Jon Orrell warned the council to act with care over who it buys systems from – claiming that the NHS has wasted billions of pounds, over the years, on technology which was not up to the job. He said there were also, obvious, lessons from the Post Office’s computer system.
Cllr Orrell said it was ironic that Dorset Council were using Price Waterhouse Coopers as consultants, the same company, he said, which specialises in reducing tax bills for big business.
Corporate development director for the council Aidan Dunn told councillors that Dorset was already behind the curve in its use of technology and, with financial pressures, had little choice but to use systems already being used elsewhere to make some savings while improving services.
“As an organisation we don’t have the money or capacity to do everything for everyone, immediately,” he said, warning that the coming years, when changes are brought in, was likely to be “bumpy.”
Conservative group leader Cllr Andrew Parry warned about alienating council staff as changes to ways of working are introduced.
He said that with only 40% taking part in a recent internal questionnaire it might indicate they already felt they were being “ridden over, roughshod” and taken for granted.
“Cost savings and improved customer services are not the best of bedfellows,” he said, warning that if the planned technology did not work as it should the council could end up alienating both staff and the public.
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