Following its recent establishment as the new ‘digital centre of government’, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has named a dozen industry and academic experts to an advisory body
Government has set up a panel of 12 experts who will be tasked with helping to “create a 10-year vision” for the new digital centre of government.
Following Labour’s election victory, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has been established as government’s new home for all things digital. The Government Digital Service, Central Digital and Data and Office, and Incubator for Artificial Intelligence have all been moved to DSIT from their previous location in the Cabinet Office. The new administration has since characterised the tech department as the “digital centre of government”.
To support this role, DSIT today announced the creation of a panel of experts from industry and academia that will be tasked in the coming years with helping to shape government’s digital strategy and how new technology is deployed across departments and services.
The panel will be jointly chaired by Paul Willmott, the digital chief of toy brand Lego who also serves as chair of CDDO on a part-time basis. Alongside him will be Martha Lane Fox, the tech entrepreneur and crossbench peer whose 2010 report into government’s online services preceded the creation of GDS.
Also serving on the panel charged with overseeing the Whitehall digital scene 14 year on are:
- Poppy Gustafsson OBE – technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Darktrace
- Jeni Tennison – founder and executive Director of Connected by Data
- Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon – social Entrepreneur, computer scientist, CEO of Stemettes
- Lou Cordwell – professor of innovation, University of Manchester
- Aaron Maniam – fellow of practice and director, digital transformation education, Blavatnik School of Government
- David Eaves – co-deputy director and associate professor at UCL
- Sarah Hunter – technology policy advisor, board member at ARIA and former director of global public policy at ‘X the Moonshot Factory’
- Lisa Harrington – tech and growth advisor
- Josie Cluer – partner, people consulting, EY
- Lord Richard Allan – Technology Adviser
AI and digital government minister Feryal Clark said: “Poor technology slows down public services too often, when new tools should be cutting waiting lists and taking the burden from citizens and the taxpayer. That is why DSIT has become the centre for digital government. We will be bold in our plans with this new responsibility, and the external expertise we are bringing in to advise us will help deliver on our shared ambitions to improve public services and drive sustainable growth that works for everyone.”
Lane Fox added: “The UK has an opportunity to deliver modern, reliable public services that benefit citizens while also helping to grow the economy. I am excited to help.”
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Stories like this literally make my blood boil.
On the surface, this sounds great. Who wouldn’t want top tech talent working to improve our public services? But as someone who’s been in the trenches of digital transformation, I can’t help but feel we’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for leveraging expertise to enhance our public sector. But here’s the rub: time and again, we see governments chasing headlines by recruiting big names, while overlooking the battle-hardened experts who’ve been tackling these issues day in, day out – walking the walk, not just talking the talk, unlike the same old gong hunters hobnobbing with government ministers over canapés and dinners.
At Beyond, we’ve rolled up our sleeves and gotten our hands dirty working with organisations on the very issues the government is trying to solve. With one client, by optimising supply and demand data, we’ve cut waiting times and increased efficiency in ways that translate to real-world impact—literally saving lives. And we’re not alone—there are firms out there with similar stories to tell.
The government’s initiative could be truly transformative if they widened their net. By all means, bring in the visionaries and innovators. But pair them with the companies who’ve navigated the bureaucratic mazes, who’ve developed solutions that work within real-world constraints.
Imagine the potential if we combined the blue-sky thinking of tech giants with the hard-won insights of specialised experts. We could create a digital transformation that’s not just ambitious, but actually achievable and sustainable.
So, here’s my challenge to the new digital centre: don’t just aim for headlines. Aim for results. Tap into the wealth of expertise that’s right here, ready and waiting. Bring everyone to the table.
Because when it comes to improving public services, we can’t afford to leave any expertise untapped. And this government, for all its grandstanding, needs to stop following the same script with new Labour luvvies. It’s time for a digital transformation that’s grounded in reality. The future of our public services depends on it.
Paul Alexander, CEO, Beyond Putting Data to Work