DD2383 GovTech London

The Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy prioritises the Mayor’s commitment to “support the growth of the GovTech sector to help bring the best ideas to market”, as a part of the recognition that Advanced Urban Services are one of London’s 7 key priority sectors. Moreover the Smarter London Together Roadmap, with its focus on delivering ‘more user designed services’, and to ‘improve city wide collaboration’ sets out three clear means of achieving this:

• Supporting public service digital and data leadership;
• Establishing the London Office of Technology and Innovation; and
• Exploring new tech partnerships and business models – including specifically how to clarify the public sector market to tech SMEs.

GovTech is already revolutionising the delivery of public services – whether it is the chatbots that are allowing boroughs to communicate at scale with residents and provide immediate information on services, to companies providing access to vetted home-based carers, and companies working to help people back into work.

Economically, GovTech is a hugely important sector in which London is already a global leader – with the UK ranked by the UN as the top country globally for e-government . The global market is estimated to reach a value of around £20bn by 2020 – driven by new technology but also by the pressure on government to meet rising expectations in the context of falling budgets.

London’s 33 local authorities are all actively engaging with the GovTech sector to innovate and deliver better services at lower cost to the taxpayer. However, this is currently happening in an uncoordinated way. Some approaches are further developed than others and there is significant duplication of effort, and there could be much greater sharing of best practice and knowledge transfer.

Following conversations with a number of London boroughs, we believe that there is the need for support to help GovTech suppliers translate their product and service offerings into information which can be understood by non-technical individuals inside their organisation. From the perspective of GovTech suppliers, there is a need to provide a better understanding of the landscape across London – given the multiplicity of routes to find, access and secure contracts.

The objectives of the Project are:

• To provide clarity to the GovTech supplier base about where, and how they can find opportunities to contract with the public sector in London, alongside information and support regarding the processes this will entail;

• To allow GovTech suppliers and local authorities to better understand one another’s needs and capabilities, through presenting standardised and simplified information on products and services; and

• To support the creation of new contracting opportunities from London’s boroughs which are designed with the needs of SME suppliers in mind, through a ‘GovTech Surgeries’ event series.

The following outputs, when combined will enable a better understanding and exchange of information between the public sector and suppliers, and facilitate uptake of GovTech solutions:

- Adding supplier functionality to existing platforms where possible – so that suppliers can interact with opportunities, as well as be able to publicly demonstrate successful past projects;

- The creation of a GovTech supplier database – so that non-experts in London’s public sector can understand and make decisions relating to high-tech products and services, define an appropriate means of engagement, and directly compare suppliers. We will also collect and monitor diversity and inclusion metrics; and

- Three annual ‘GovTech Surgery’ events, focusing on three key procurement opportunities for GovTech SMEs – to provide the focal point for engagements and a procurement-compliant means of boroughs engaging with the supplier base.

These packages of work will lead to the following outcomes:

- A better understanding in the public sector of what solutions are available, and a specific understanding of the companies they interact with – usable by non-experts;

- A better understanding in the GovTech sector of procurement opportunities and the procurement framework in which their market operates;

- A robust methodology against which the public sector can judge suppliers of innovative products;

- A means by which GovTech suppliers can explain their service type and level, in a standardised way to non-experts, as well as set out the traction they have had with other public bodies in the past;

- A procurement-compliant engagement process, comprising of a series of events which will lead to GovTech suppliers being able to access procurement opportunities.

We will measure success of the project against the following metrics:

While the project allows for £32,000 of staffing resource, this will fund an existing post so will not result in additional headcount.

All external services will be procured according to the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and GLA group responsible procurement policy, and officers will liaise from the outset with colleagues in TfL commercial procurement in order to ensure compliance and best practice.

Use of Funding

The table below sets out how the funding will be used:

The funding will come from the LEAP Core budget for 2019-20.

Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the Mayor of London must have ‘due regard’ of the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation as well as to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Strategic equality, diversity and inclusion objectives are enshrined within the GLA’s programmes and activities according to the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

The programme will be promoted through a wide variety of channels to reach out to underrepresented groups, and we will ensure that as suppliers are brought onto the database and platforms associated with the project, we monitor for diversity and inclusion.

GovTech refers to a broad category of solutions which will sell into the public sector, and therefore has the potential to touch upon areas of service delivery itself covered by the Equality Act 2010. During the process we will ensure that providers and users are reminded of their responsibilities under the Act, and that innovative products and services must ensure they comply with the law.

Key Risks and Issues

The below risk register outlines the major risks to the Project:

Links to Mayoral Strategies and Priorities

The Mayor’s Economic Development Strategy prioritises the Mayor’s commitment to “support the growth of the GovTech sector to help bring the best ideas to market”, as a part of the recognition that Advanced Urban Services are one of London’s 7 key priority sectors. Moreover the Smarter London Together Roadmap, with its focus on delivering ‘more user designed services’, and to ‘improve city wide collaboration’ sets out three clear means of achieving this:

• Supporting public service digital and data leadership;
• Establishing the London Office of Technology and Innovation;
• Exploring new tech partnerships and business models – including specifically how to clarify the public sector market to tech SMEs.

GovTech.London thus brings together the aims of the Economic Development Strategy in its support for the GovTech sector and how it can grow through access to market, with the delivery of the Smarter London Together Roadmap and its focus on better service delivery.

The total cost of £107,000 for this initiative will be funded from the LEAP Core Funds budget for 2019-20 held within the Regeneration & Economic Development Unit.

The decisions requested of the Director (in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code) concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

• pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
• consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
• consult with appropriate bodies.

In taking the decisions requested, the Directors must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010 and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

Officers must ensure that the extension to the grade 8 post is in line with GLA’s HR protocols including obtaining permission from the Head of Paid Service as appropriate.

Officers should ensure that the works be procured by Transport for London Procurement who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must ensure that appropriate contract documentation is put in place and executed by the successful bidder(s) and the GLA before the commencement of the works.