The Public Services virtual forum began with introductory remarks from President and Managing Director of Â鶹ԭ´´ ANZ, Damien Bueno, who noted the impressive pace and ways businesses are adapting. He expressed how Â鶹ԭ´´ has been working from home for nearly two months and while this is a time of uncertainty for many, businesses and governments alike should have licence to be bold and use this opportunity to evolve digitally in order to remain stronger.ÌýÌý

Damien also expressed the importance of optimismÌýduringÌýa time like this –ÌýandÌýthe importance of understandingÌýwhat could becomeÌýnew ways of working.ÌýAdapting under crisis is givingÌýbusinesses new skills and perspectives andÌýthe chance to emerge more prepared and resilient to future shock events.Ìý

A Test of Fire and PandemicÌý

Next,ÌýI was fortunate to facilitateÌýa discussionÌýwithÌýLee Miezis,ÌýCEO ofÌýBushfire Recovery Victoria, and Simon Bush,ÌýGM Policy and Advocacy at AIIA and Managing DirectorÌýofÌýBush-Consulting.ÌýÌý

SimonÌýwas encouraged by the speed of adaptation, noting how rapid digitalisation is occurring across the legal sector, healthcare, government, and more, at a pace that’s taking weeks instead of years. As part of businesses moving boldly, there hasÌýbeen positiveÌýfeedbackÌýas businesses have been able to respond to changing circumstances at scale, adapting to added strains on resources and services.ÌýÌý

LeeÌýgave the audience a run through his first 100 days on the job, from the development of Bushfire Recovery Victoria in response to Australia’s severe bushfire season 2019-2020.ÌýHe noted how the past six months have beenÌýaÌýcontinualÌýadaptationÌýto drastic changes, which has required significant co-ordination between governmentÌýjurisdictions,Ìýbusinesses, and communities in order to keep people informed and safe during the bushfire season and subsequent COVID-19 crisis.ÌýÌý

A key challenge Lee mentioned was offering targeted support those who’ve undergone tragedy and displacement. The damage cause by bushfires was widespread and the ability to serve those impacted requiredÌýaggregating a lot of data from organisations – both public and private – to gather insights into people’s situations, the support they require, and their eligibility for specific schemes and services.ÌýÌý

HisÌýorganisation was forced to work quickly,ÌýleveragingÌýthe availableÌýtechnology and data toÌýprovide that targetedÌýsupport.ÌýLee noted theÌývitalÌýimportance of being able to gather disparate data and verify it,Ìýin order to co-ordinate the right response at the right time.ÌýHe emphasised thatÌýdata is critical to providing the right services.Ìý

Lee commented on the importance of existing relationships, enabling themÌýto connectÌýrapidlyÌýwithÌýotherÌýgovernment agencies andÌýbusiness’s with relevant capabilities. He noted that they were overwhelmed with offers of support inÌýthe initial stages and the existing relationships were the quickest way to leverage the support needed.ÌýÌý

In terms of building staff resilience,ÌýLeeÌýobservedÌýthe need to nurture staff relationshipsÌýand engagementÌýespecially in aÌýbrand-newÌýorganisational structure who were suddenly workingÌýremotely. ThisÌýentailedÌýfocusing onÌýregular, frequent communicationsÌýandÌýhe gave an example of mailingÌýcare packages.Ìý

The adage ‘never waste a crisis’ was expressedÌýwithÌýboth Simon and LeeÌýnotingÌýhow this challenging period could still offer people and organisations a learning opportunity to better connect with one another, discover best practices forÌýadaptation, and find a way to deepen trust amongst customers, partners, employees, and other stakeholders.ÌýÌý

The Value of Communication and SupportÌý

Connection was a key theme of the discussion as the need to keep staff connected to the organisation’s purpose, expectations, and customers are all critical – whether during or outside a crisis.ÌýÌý

When facilitating work-from-home staff, there were three key take-aways. First was the need to balance collaboration with productivity – ensuring staff have the technology and support they need to stay connected with the organisation, collaborate with colleagues, and stay safe during this period of change.Ìý

The second point regarding work-from-home is the value of company culture – not only in terms of camaraderie, but in making allowances for adjustment, understanding the disruptions that are occurring, and normalising those practices that will benefit the organisation beyond COVID-19.Ìý

Third was the importance ofÌýmental health. It can be challenging for many to logÌýoffÌýandÌýdisengageÌýfrom work when they’re homelives and work now share a roof. The ability toÌýreengage socially, get outside and exercise, or simply step away from the computer is paramountÌýasÌýtheÌýfirst priorityÌýthroughout this crisisÌýhas beenÌýthe health and wellbeing of everyone.ÌýÌý

AÌýsignificantÌýtakeaway for me in facilitating thisÌýdiscussionÌýwas theÌývitalÌýimportanceÌýthatÌýconnections,Ìýcombined with insightfulÌýdata,ÌýcanÌýplayÌýinÌýhelpingÌýorganisations toÌýrapidlyÌýadaptÌýandÌýthenÌýrespondÌýto changes in their environment.ÌýIt certainly suggests thatÌýeffort spentÌýbuildingÌýmoreÌýrobustÌýengagementÌýstructuresÌýwithÌýstaff, customers, other agenciesÌýand relevantÌýbusinessesÌýcreates aÌýstrongerÌýadaptiveÌýcapability. CombiningÌýthisÌýwith better data insightsÌýderived fromÌýa more comprehensiveÌýtreatment of, and focus on, dataÌýasÌýa valuable assetÌýallowsÌýrapidÌýand more targeted responsesÌýin times of change.ÌýÌýÌý

PerhapsÌýbothÌýthe public and private sector shouldÌýconsiderÌýusingÌýthisÌýcrisis toÌýimprove communicationsÌýwith each other, better express needs andÌýexpectations, andÌýenableÌýthese improved connections through data – using data insights to understand our situation, our responses, andÌýhow we emerge from this crisis in better shape than we went into it.ÌýÌý

ToÌýlearnÌýmoreÌýyou can access a full recording from the sessionÌý.ÌýÌý

The post Rapid Response and Lasting Changes Post-COVID-19 appeared first on Â鶹ԭ´´ Australia & New Zealand News Center.

We’ve seen the immense shutdown of travel – significantly limiting the movement of people and goods everywhere with widespread economic ramifications. Government, healthcare providers, suppliers, and other industries are co-ordinating in ways we have never experienced before to ensure continuity of service and that the public remain safe and informed.

To help organisations as they navigate through this challenging period, Â鶹ԭ´´ recently hosted a series of virtual forums called . This digital event featured industry-specific episodes to provide perspectives on how businesses might adjust, adapt, and thrive in this crisis.

I participated as part of the public services session alongside Lee Miezis, CEO at Bushfire Relief Victoria and Simon Bush, GM Policy and Advocacy at Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and managing director, Bush Consulting. Together we discussed the impact of COVID-19 on workforces, legislation, risk and compliance, and the critical role of technology in helping businesses and society emerge from this stronger than before.

Let’s take a look at some of the key points that were discussed:

The Vital Importance of Good Data
Governments have crisis plans but putting them into effect at scale is challenging at the best of times. How this is done can have a massive impact upon our lives, families, society and our economy.

The main challenge lies in when to act and how to ensure successful execution especially in the middle of the crisis itself. Lee will provide insights from his experiences during the recent bushfire crisis, the vital importance of data to enable smart decision-making, and how they have built a culture of resilience to adapt in times of need.

Rebuilding Trust Through Technology
We’ve spoken previously on the importance of building public trust by understanding citizen’s expectations and experiences. The wide-reaching capacities and applications of technology make this easier than ever before. Intelligent technology was a vital cornerstone in creating the experience economy, and now – more than ever – people’s experiences will inform how well we emerge from this current crisis.
Citizens need to feel they can trust governments – especially during times of crisis.

This means being transparent in terms of response and funding, ensuring people understand the legislative changes that are developing as rapidly as COVID-19 news unfolds. Communication through digital platforms not only facilitates better accessibility for public service providers and citizens, but can be used to help co-ordinate response efforts across industry sectors.

To learn more about how public services and governments are mitigating risks and responding to this global pandemic, to the second edition of the – going live on August 6^th 2020.

The post Responding to the Global Crisis for Public Services appeared first on Â鶹ԭ´´ Australia & New Zealand News Center.