Liverpool is to be included in a £100million innovation programme which is aiming to make Government and local services more efficient and better for residents.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, has confirmed the Government will launch the programme in January, which will see specialists from technology companies complete six- to 12-month secondments, working with government and local authorities.
Teams of problem solvers – including people with data and digital skills, policy officials and frontline workers – will be deployed with the freedom to experiment and adapt, with a mindset similar to that taken by tech firms.
Initially the teams will be tasked with two challenges: increasing the number of families receiving support from family hubs and reducing the costs of temporary accommodation.
Along with Liverpool, the projects will also be run in Manchester, Sheffield and Essex.
Cllr Liam Robinson, Leader of Liverpool City Council, said: “This project has the potential to transform the quality of services that people receive from their local government. It will enable our family hubs to reach more disadvantaged families, supporting our work to reduce the costs of temporary accommodation provided by the Council.
“For Liverpool to be included at the very start of this initiative is incredibly exciting, as it shows what we can achieve when we work hand-in-hand with the Government.
“Liverpool has many highly skilled and talented people working in the digital and technology sectors. The opportunity to develop new strategies can see a new mindset deployed in Government.
“I’m really pleased the Government has selected Liverpool to be included in this test and learn project.”
The Government has also announced that there will be an effort to overhaul the recruitment process to attract the best people to work in the Civil Service.
Mr McFadden said: “Right now, if you’re an outsider, the process can be mind-bogglingly bureaucratic and off-putting.
“Applications can take days to fill in, and if you don’t understand the civil service process, good external candidates can find it near impossible to jump through the hoops.
“We need to go further and faster. And so I will be asking departments across Government to roll out simpler processes in their recruitment, using what we know works.”