The Public Safety and National Security (PSNS) sector is experiencing a lack of skills to support the growth and public demand needed in the future. In a recent report (Accenture) presented valuable data showcasing the importance of digital skills in the PSNS sector. It is stated that:
- 76% of forces have identified they have a lack of digital skills in their Force currently and that this gap is going to grow larger in the next 5-7 years.
- 72% of police professionals believe that providing learning and development opportunities is important to the future of their organisation
- 56% of police professionals expect greater sharing of resources and skills between agencies in future, with 85 percent of those saying they feel positive about the change.
risual were working alongside a midlands-based Police Force to deliver a Cloud Migration project. The Force had identified that it needed to move their data into Microsoft Azure to save costs and increase security. During this process it was identified that the Force had a lack of internal skills to deliver the project to a high standard.
The Police Force was considering different options to fill the skills gap they were experiencing to deliver the project, the first being to hire contractors. As a Public Sector organisation contractors would have been a significant expense to the Force and wouldn’t have provided the breadth of skills required to accelerate quickly. Contractors were also considered a risk to the project due the to the length of time needed to deliver the project. The second option was to hire two full time members of the team, with the Public Safety and National Security sector experiencing a significant skills shortage this would have been a lengthy task with limitations around costs and experience.
The Force were familiar with risual’s depth and breadth of IT skills and knowledge due to working together on numerous projects in the past. Therefore, the thurd option considered was risual providing training and guidance specific to the migration project. As a partner of 17 years specialising in Microsoft technology risual could offer the scale of knowledge and experience needed to successfully support the force’s IT team and deliver the project. risual shared several consultant profiles with the Force to ensure that the correct skills existed to deliver the project and train the Force effectively. Once it was confirmed that the risual consultants provided could support not only the delivery of the project but the upskilling of the IT team the Force decided this was the best approach for maximum value.
This great relationship has enabled the Force to have a strong skills plan for the next 3 years. Ensuring they can have the skills and expertise within the organisation to successfully deliver their project to ultimately accelerate their business objectives.
If you’re in the PSNS sector and are facing similar challenges, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We have 17+ years of experience in that sector and wish to help ensure you are working towards your business goals and bridging the digital skills gap.
www.risual.com
0300 303 2044
Enquiries@risual.com
