We need to better understand, support and celebrate colleagues with disabilities
Samaira Uddin of GDS discusses how civil servants can be an allies and advocates for their disabled co-workers
Government must earn public trust that AI is being used safely and responsibly
Leaders from two of government’s core digital and data units – the CDDO and CDEI –...
In a hybrid world, data can help create an identity for students
Gathering and analysing information can help institutions promote engagement and wellbeing,...
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Why cyber resilience is the UK's first line of defence
New threats require the sort of joint civilian and military planning that was common in the Cold War – but with a focus on cyber rather than nuclear, says Jennifer Cole of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)
How councils can use and make the most of data
There is no lack of appetite for data projects – it’s just that the scope of them is so vast, many people don’t know where to begin
General election 2017: Politicians have been silent on data – and unwilling to let councils take the lead
While some councils boast impressive advocates for data analysis, there are strict limits on what they can accomplish without the backing of Westminster – as the election campaign row over social care shows
Turning the tide: how the public sector can win the battle against shadow IT
Tackling shadow IT should be an urgent priority for government in the wake of the WannaCry breach on the NHS, says Julian Cook.
What the doctor ordered
An NHS-wide cloud for sharing diagnostic images and intelligence across the health service could mean huge economies of scale, stronger collaboration, and rapid digitisation, according to Jane Rendall and Fredrik Gustavsson.
Could ID cards help stamp out benefit fraud?
Benefit fraud is worse than ever. Gary Pettengell asks if new technology is helping?
Marginal gains: An incremental approach to transformation
Budget constraints and practicalities might prevent councils from making large-scale changes to their IT systems. But, says Richard Whomes, even the smallest steps to modernisation can make a big impact.
It’s time for all the parties to do political engagement on social media properly
Existing social media platforms aren’t providing effective political engagement, because they weren’t designed to, says David Evans, director of policy and community at the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.
Overcoming public sector patch paralysis and risk culture
The global ransomware attack has been followed by an outcry about the NHS' reliance on legacy systems. Harry Metcalfe and Lee Maguire of dxw say you can't properly diagnose the problem - or understand an organisation's culture - from the outside, but call for technicians to be empowered to act quickly when...
Local election 2017: Changing council colours might not earn digital any go-faster stripes
Last week’s local elections saw a swing to the Conservatives, with a few successes for Labour in the city mayoral polls. But, if the political landscape has shifted, David Walker says it remains to be seen if local government tech will move beyond business as usual.
‘A symbolic moment has passed’: Prospective city mayors have missed the chance to champion tech
In three weeks, voters in Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool get to choose new mayors, but you’d be hard pushed to find much mention of tech in their manifestos, says David Walker. He asks if there’s a reason for their seemingly half-hearted approach to IT...
NAO offers 'balanced view' of history of digital transformation, but GDS now needs to focus on Brexit
Much will be made of the UK spending watchdog’s recent report on how the Government Digital Service is adapting to its new way of working – but the real test of government digital is more likely to be Brexit, writes the Institute for Government’s Daniel Thornton.
Public sector IT contractors: Focus on value not cost as IR35 hits
At the end of March, the government is facing a brain-drain as contractors leave the public sector rather than be caught out by stricter tax rules. But Eduserv’s Max Elliott-Massouras says the focus should be on the value of contractors – not their cost.
If you make bold decisions, you have to execute them well: Five lessons for getting transformation right
Aingaran Pillai, CEO and founder of open source software company Zaizi, says that governments need to make bold decisions on digital - but make sure they're executed properly. He offers his top five tips for digital staff here.
Keeping tabs on transformation: Why tracking progress will be crucial for success
A lack of benchmarking data on digital transformation programmes in government makes it hard to evaluate success at a time when it has ever been more important, says Jane Roberts, strategy director at TopLevel.
Algorithms in decision-making inquiry: Stephanie Mathisen on challenging MPs to investigate accountability
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee is to investigate the use of algorithms in decision-making, an inquiry chosen as part of the committee’s crowd-sourcing project. Stephanie Mathisen, campaigns and policy officer at Sense about Science, who pitched the idea to the MPs, explains why the field needs more scrutiny.
How can government raise its tech game? The digital tools transforming democracy for today and tomorrow
The UK’s model of governance seems impervious to radical technological change, but elsewhere in the world, countries are getting digital democracy right, says Theo Bass, a researcher at innovation foundation Nesta and author of a report looking at the tools governments have at their fingertips.
Government transformation strategy misses the opportunity to transform the wider public sector
The government’s transformation strategy seems to be more about re-packaged principles when it needed to demonstrate how a revolution could be achieved in practice, says independent digital analyst Jos Creese.
Senior buy-in and real incentives 'urgently needed' to make transformation strategy a success
The government's transformation strategy needs buy-in from the political top brass to drive the radical culture change that underpins the plan, writes PublicTechnology editor Rebecca Hill.
Digital leadership: Changing your whole approach, not just doing better digital projects
The government's transformation has admirable aims, but will need leaders who understand what digital really means if it to become a reality, says Janet Hughes, digital director of Doteveryone's digital leadership project.
Same difference? How the GDPR will differ from the DPA – and what public servants need to do now
For a public sector only just beginning to adapt to the demands of digital data, the looming General Data Protection Regulation obligations could be alarming. Jane Roberts of Toplevel asks how the GDPR will differ from existing legislation.