Content
Editorial
Pickles confirms plan to change electronic agenda rules
The government has confirmed that it is planning to legislate to allow councillors to be sent agendas for council meetings electronically.
Features
Can government destroy its legacy?
As much as half of government’s near-£5bn annual spend on IT is dedicated to the maintenance of ageing or unsupported tech. A range of digital leaders tell Sam Trendall about the issues they face with legacy, and how they can be addressed.
Year in review: How technology defined 2021’s biggest stories
Digital and data once again had a starring role in supporting – and, occasionally, hampering – government’s work this year. PublicTechnology looks back at the most significant events.
Why are many more PCR tests coming back void?
The rate of inconclusive results tripled between summer and autumn, while some patients have reported receiving notice of void results that were then rescinded. PublicTechnology investigates.
Interview
In it for the long-run: Why Luton council signed a 10-year ICT deal
Luton Borough Council chose to renew its IT contract rather than go with a new provider. The council’s technology lead tells Gill Hitchcock how it shifted to an outcomes-based approach – and why a flexible 10-year contract can still be a good deal.
‘The skill set for any CIO is the same’: Socitm president Geoff Connell on moving from borough to county
Geoff Connell took up his role of CIO at Norfolk County Council in August last year. Rebecca Hill asks him how he found the change from the London Borough of Newham, and finds out what’s on his to-do list.
News
Consultants still comprise one in four Test and Trace workers
Efforts to reduce reliance on external providers have had an impact
Working from home: guidance ends in England but remains in Scotland
Government called time on policy yesterday, but advice is set to remain in place north of the border until next month
Consumer regulator seeks £100k leader for algorithm work
CMA created team last year to better understand and oversee the use of automated technologies in business
Opinion
Are your Christmas presents spying on you?
With many around the country receiving technological gifts, experts from government anti-espionage unit UK NACE explain why smartphones are the ‘perfect eavesdropping devices’
The digital age requires cultural sensitivity
Even when sat in their living room, government officials working with international partners need to be cognisant and respectful of other cultures, according to experts Matt Minshall and Mark Roberts
‘Cutting edge’ or a ‘security nightmare’? Government anti-espionage unit on the tech behind Bond gadgets
As No Time To Die smashes box-office records, technical experts from the UK National Authority for Counter-Eavesdropping tell us whether 007’s favourite spy toys are rooted in reality