‘We speak civil service, but we speak private sector too’ – JSaRC head Angela Essel on government’s ‘bilingual’ approach to national security
The Home Office’s Joint Security and Resilience Centre helps government work with industry to meet the UK’s security challenges. We talk to new head Angela Essel about why ‘heated discussions’ between civil servants and commercial secondees has created mutual respect and understanding
Why government is ‘failing’ on AI openness
The body dedicated to upholding ethical standards across the public sector has published a major...
Qualified success – how apprentices are making a big impact at HMRC
About one in 10 of the department’s workforce are apprentices, and its development programmes...
More Content
Transforming Whitehall IT: GDS celebrates five years at the heart of government digital
The Government Digital Service was officially launched on 8 December 2011. Rebecca Hill takes a look back at five years of transformation, trials and tribulations at the central government team.
GDS's greatest hits: Skills, savings and survival
After years of planning, building, cajoling, tough love and bunting, the Government Digital Service is celebrating its fifth birthday. We asked critics and proponents what the service should feel most proud of – and what it needs to fix next.
A private eye: Manchester’s CIO on moving to the public sector and improving supplier relationships
Bob Brown might have left the private sector, but Manchester City Council’s chief information officer is certainly bringing his corporate experience to bear on his first public sector role. Rebecca Hill asked him about his first year in post.
Future parliament: How a change of scenery could encourage innovation
Could parliament’s move out of the 19th Century Palace of Westminster be used to embrace 21st Century technology? Rebecca Hill reports.
The long run-in: Changing culture, IT and services in East Sussex and Surrey
East Sussex and Surrey councils first mooted shared services two years ago. Chief information officer Matthew Scott tells Gill Hitchcock about the hurdles the partnership had to overcome during its development, and where it is now.
'Councils have to change': Scottish local government CDO Martyn Wallace has big plans for his new role
Just a month into his new job as chief digital officer for the 28 Scottish councils that have pooled their digital resources, Martyn Wallace already has big plans for his team.
Lessons from Seoul: How eGovernment can drive citizen engagement
Scott Moore, business analyst for the Scottish Improvement Service, won a Socitm scholarship to research digital public service trend in Seoul during the summer. Here he looks back on he learnt during his summer investigating the city’s digital transformation.
Cracking the ‘us versus them’ mentality: Singapore’s GovTech CIO on digital services for the masses
This week saw the official launch of the Singapore’s dedicated government tech agency GovTech. Rebecca Hill spoke to the organisation’s chief information officer Chan Cheow Hoe about the issues facing government digital services and how his team is addressing them.
‘It’s cheaper, democratic and what users want’: Why councils need to think about accessibility
RNIB inclusion guru Steve Tyler tells Gill Hitchcock that it makes sense for councils to build accessibility into their digital services.
User need and integrated, intuitive systems: How Newham is digitising social care
Newham’s digital delivery could show the way for other councils to make social services more efficient. Gill Hitchcock finds out why.
User need and integrated, intuitive systems: How Newham is digitising social care
Newham’s digital delivery could show the way for other councils to make social services more efficient. Gill Hitchcock finds out why.
Expert verdict: Corbyn helps put digital on the map but manifesto lacks ambition
The digital democracy manifesto launched by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn earlier this week has failed to gain the approval of those working in public sector technology.
The Pokemon Go effect: How councils are tapping into augmented and virtual reality
Sooraj Shah looks at the benefits of AR and VR, and asks whether councils should be spending taxpayers’ money on the emerging technologies so soon.
“Our country was like a start-up”: Lessons from Estonia and why true e-government requires trust and buy-in
As the UK government pushes its digital transformation agenda, PublicTechnology looks at how other countries have forged ahead. According to an Estonian e-governance expert, identification systems are crucial. Rebecca Hill reports.
Empowering women: How Socitm wants to boost IT professionals’ confidence
This autumn, the next cohort of women will start Socitm’s empowering women in IT programme. Rebecca Hill finds out how the society wants to promote female tech role models as part of PublicTechnology's diversity in tech series.
Blockchain - don't get carried away by the hype
Adam Cooper from the Government Digital Service says blockchain technologies are not yet the answer to digital identification solutions.
Interview: Simon Parker, Redbridge Council’s incoming strategy director, on agile working, data and transformation
Simon Parker, the outgoing director of the NLGN think tank, reflects on six years in the job and tells Rebecca Hill how he plans to use digital approaches in his move to Redbridge Council
Tenacity and navel-gazing: Wigan’s road to digital success
Around 18 months ago, senior leaders at Wigan Council decided to take digital seriously. Since then the authority has won multiple awards for its transformation. Rebecca Hill asks Alison McKenzie-Folan, deputy chief executive director for customer transformation, about the journey.
‘I don’t buy into the idea that Tech City is taking over’: Tech North’s new leader on autonomy, councils and northern humbleness
What can the body charged with boosting the tech industry in the north of England offer local government? According to its new director Richard Gregory, a lot. Rebecca Hill reports.
Matching vision with investment: How councils can benefit from IoT
Council IT chiefs tell Sooraj Shah that, although the Internet of Things has huge potential for local government, it’s still early days for the technology.
Leeds paves the way to joined-up health and social care across the country
Dylan Roberts, Leeds City Council’s digital chief, tells Gill Hitchcock that other public services could benefit from the local authority’s open source integrated care record programme, Ripple.