The value of the private sector in the digital world
One of the driving forces behind the Microsoft ACTS (Advanced Cloud Transparency Services) initiative is the belief that digital technologies can help curb the spread of government corruption. We’re not alone in our conviction. A recent in-depth report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), titled Stepping Up The Game, reveals similar underlying principles and a like-minded approach toward helping the public sector. The report outlines, in detail, the groundwork needed to successfully drive anti-corruption efforts in the public and private sectors. “It’s the kind of paper that would have helped us tremendously when we first started out,” says Norman Hodne, program director, Microsoft ACTS.
Reflecting on our progress
Two years into our initiative, the study confirms the value of our mission, reminding us of where we’ve been as well as supporting our idea of where we’re headed. As the OECD study points out, civil society, governments, and businesses all have a significant interest in delivering transparency to fight corruption. Success in that arena requires a concerted effort from the public sector to integrate its anti-corruption measures with the private sector’s adoption of digital technology. That’s why we work globally with governments, local partners, and experts to develop and implement innovative solutions at every stage of technological maturity—to accelerate digital transformation. Governments that establish clear rules and use technology to make public processes more transparent can work with the private sector and its digital technology to build a stronger, more impervious wall to corruption. In this way, governments can ensure that they meet the needs of their citizens while being flexible enough to adapt to political and economic change.
ACTS is committed to this public-private partnership. We see this collaboration as a long-term venture. “We started a 10-year mission-to-the-moon type of mentality,” Hodne says. “Our investment is in understanding what customers need and then tailoring solutions, at least initially, with those customers.”
Becoming a trusted partner
Our focus is to listen to governments about the types of use cases they want to solve. Then we deconstruct those objectives in order to use technology to figure out how best to help. Such an understanding establishes a foundation that we can build answers on and customize to specific needs. This practice enables us to provide support in the truest sense of the word. With Microsoft’s wide breadth of products, services, research, and leading-edge thinking, we’ve already found new, impactful ways for governments to conduct public policy.
We see a world of possibility with technology that can help governments learn about and enact transformative ideas for improving government transparency and servicing their communities. “We’re educating our customers about the value and benefits that digital technologies like AI and machine learning can bring to them,” Hodne says. “OECD’s report echoes that sentiment and impact. Just as we encourage open data, the report reveals that many governments are considering that as a more sophisticated technological solution to increase transparency.”
Pictured above: The Stepping Up The Game report from the Organisation for Economic Co-opertation and Development (OECD)
Turning knowledge into solutions
Learn by doing—that is our practice. “It’s helped us get through the initial hump of trying to figure out how to help our customers take advantage of these modern technologies,” Hodne says. “And once we’ve done that, we can take that knowledge and turn it into scalable solutions that become easier and more cost-effective to implement and take advantage of, which helps everyone.”
We want to share any expertise we’ve learned to date with others looking to take advantage of this opportunity, hopefully adding value to the conversation. We also want to provide support, thorough training, and clear communication. And we mustn’t forget agility either, as it enables governments to adapt and improve supply chains, from beginning to end, and within public-private partnerships. “The government organization and the corporate organization need to be in sync about moving things forward,” Hodne says. “Neither one of us have all the answers because we’re not the expert in their business, and they’re not the experts in our technology, but by sharing information and wanting to move forward, we can do that together.”
Learn more at Microsoft ACTS.