Editorial

London’s CDO calls for Local Government Digital Service

Theo Blackwell argues the initiative would have numerous benefits for citizens, local councils, and government.

Posted 14 March 2024 by Christine Horton


London’s chief digital officer (CDO) says the next UK government should consider expanding the remit of Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Cabinet Office Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) by establishing a ‘Government Digital Service-Local’ (GDS-L) initiative — or Local Government Digital Service.

Writing in a blog, Theo Blackwell (pictured) listed several reasons for the proposed changes.

Acknowledging that commendable digital services are available at the central government level thanks to the GDS, he said “the quality at the local government level remains inconsistent and fragmented across the complex council landscape.”

This inconsistency, said Blackwell, “not only affects citizens’ overall government experience but, crucially, for a new government: hampers policy design, development, implementation and delivery because citizens’ data isn’t as easily accessible as it should be.”

The CDO also said there is a “glaring lack of transparency” regarding the technology stack underpinning local services. In London, the bulk of local services are entangled in inflexible ‘Big IT’ contracts, with systems designed to fulfil individual (and often historic) departmental processes, rather than meet user needs.

Compounding the issue is the deficit in collective procurement by local councils, “stemming from an asymmetry of information regarding contract renewals.”

This lack of coordination, he said, prevents local councils from leveraging market opportunities for better terms, flexibility. It also “perpetuates onerous contract terms and dominant industry practices.”

Blackwell pointed to resistance from Big IT companies to facilitate easy data-sharing from the systems (APIs) they run, hindering collaboration, innovation, and comprehensive insights into citizen experiences.

“As a result, citizens often encounter fragmented and unsatisfactory experiences when engaging with local government services that span multiple departments. It also means that efforts to join-up on outcomes — and missions — are hampered right from the start because the data held in these systems is hard or costly to access,” he said.

A radical shift

Blackwell is calling for a radical shift towards integrating smaller, independent technology components or modules in a flexible manner to meet changing needs.

“To achieve more responsive, efficient, and cost-effective public services, there must be a concerted national effort to understand and optimise data-enabled transformation at the local level.”

He said a ‘GDS-local’ initiative would be a strong strategic move for the next UK government. By focusing on digital transformation, data sharing, and industry reform at the local level, GDS-L can drive tangible improvements in service delivery, efficiency, and outcomes for citizens, local councils and the government as a whole.

He listed several key objectives:

GDS-Local would work closely with local government authorities to facilitate digital transformation initiatives and promote effective data sharing practices.

It would support new spaces to experiment on new service models or delivery methods through a sandbox like the one proposed by the London Office of Technology and Innovation in London, for example for the use of generative AI in services.

GDS-Local would undertake a thorough investigation into restrictive industry practices, particularly those related to Big IT contracts and the reluctance to introduce free/low cost APIs for local government services.

GDS-Local would collaborate with local government to develop a new common reference architecture for local councils. This architecture, derived from best practices and lessons learned from successful transformation initiatives across all sectors, would serve as a blueprint for designing and implementing modern, scalable, and interoperable systems across different local authorities.

In addition, he said GDS-local could explore other initiatives aimed at improving experiences, reducing cost and improving productivity using technology and data at the local level. This might include developing and promoting standards and best practices for cybersecurity, privacy and accessibility, as well as extending existing training and capacity-building support available for central government staff, to local government staff.

Benefits for citizens, local councils, and government

Blackwell said the initiative would have numerous benefits for citizens, local councils, and the government. These include better services for citizens and cost savings for local councils. He also said  better data use and interoperability across local government authorities, would enable government as a whole to make more informed decisions and deliver better outcomes for citizens.

“Enhanced data sharing would also facilitate pan-government collaboration, enable more joined-up approaches to addressing complex societal challenges and enhance the potential for innovation by maximising existing government investments via Innovate UK and other bodies,” he said.

The CDO stressed any such service “would need to bring overall coherence to existing initiatives (Local Digital at DHLUC) and be designed with local government and the Local Government Association, incorporate Local Digital and other relevant government teams. Close alignment (or perhaps even a review of some of the functions of the Catapults) may also be required.

“Collaboration, not centralisation, would be the guiding principle backed up by a refreshed Local Digital Declaration.”

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