UK IT sector and Government Digital Service must work together, according to director general
‘Government cannot do this alone’, according to GDS boss Kevin Cunnington Credit: © GDS
Government Digital Service director general Kevin Cunnington said that, to deliver on its transformation agenda, the government will need to lean on “the UK tech industry’s skills and experience”.
Speaking at an event hosted in London by industry body techUK, Cunnington told representatives of the UK technology scene that, if the Government Transformation Strategy is to succeed, the private sector – particularly IT firms – must play a role.
“Business transformation is difficult and government cannot do this alone,” he said. “Service teams in government want, and need, the UK tech industry’s skills and experience to help them transform.”
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Cunnington added that, to get the best results for themselves and the government, IT companies should work closely with GDS.
“By using the GDS platforms rather than reinventing them or integrating others, you can do this more quickly, cheaply and consistently,” he said.
Published in February, the Government Transformation Strategy laid out plans for the next three years. The ultimate aim is to improve service delivery by overhauling the processes and tools used by the government, as well as making better use of data.
Julian David, chief executive of techUK, said: “The detailed plans outlined [at our event] show how government will adopt new transformational approaches, and illustrates its willingness to harness a competitive supplier landscape in doing so. It was encouraging to hear that government is focused on skills, information sharing, end-to-end transformation, and harnessing SME innovation, as this aligns with our members’ key priorities for public services.”
Attendees of the event were also able to meet with representatives of GDS’s Government as a Platform programme, and were shown demonstrations of recent developments in its technology.
