The digital divide, skills and capabilities, privacy, and artificial intelligence (AI) were some of the topics in the spotlight at Think Digital Government. Speakers from across government and the public sector debated the future of digital in government to a packed audience for the event in London.
Here are some highlights:
Christine Bellamy, CEO of the Government Digital Service (GDS) (pictured), shared her vision for the next 12 months of delivering digital public services. She highlighted progress such as the GOV.UK design system and the government’s ‘front door’ approach, but acknowledged there is still more work to be done. She also touched on GDS’ experiments with AI-powered chatbots to improve access to government services, as well as the potential benefits of a national digital ID system.
Panellists representing DWP Digital, Age UK, Good Things Foundation and The Children’s Society addressed the problems caused by the digital divide, with 10% of UK households lacking broadband and 45% lacking basic digital skills. Age UK’s Mind the Digital Gap report revealed that 30% of London boroughs do not offer offline access to essential services. As part of the discussion, they stressed the need to use data to streamline access to services and address social exclusion.
On developing digital skills within the civil service, Laura Gregory, head of DDaT capability & professions management at the Home Office, emphasised the need for a baseline assessment of current skills and a diverse talent pipeline, including apprenticeships. The Cabinet Office’s digital capability programme lead Richard Kelly noted the government’s need for 15,000 more digital professionals over the next few years and the success of the Tech Track apprenticeship, which received 12,000 applications – 73% from minority backgrounds. Additionally, Justice Digital’s Laura Brown stressed the importance of progression pathways and retaining talent. All three agreed on the need for a balanced approach between contractors and early talent, ensuring both immediate delivery and long-term capability development.
How local public bodies are innovating was another topic under discussion. Key points included the importance of community engagement and bi-directional communication to identify critical issues. Budget constraints, particularly in children’s and health services, were highlighted, with a need to balance resources. In what was a theme of the day, the panel representing local authorities and Netcall emphasised the importance of digital inclusion and the potential risks of digital-only services.
How to use AI responsibly to improve the quality of local government services and save time for frontline workers was in the spotlight next. The session focused on the implementation of Beam’s Magic Notes AI tool in social care across Ealing, Croydon, and Kingston councils. The tool has reduced administrative burdens, saving frontline workers an average of one day per week. It enhances efficiency by generating structured care assessments and transcriptions, improving accuracy and reducing stress. Key considerations included data protection, user-centered design, and the importance of practitioner buy-in.
Another discussion centered on the impact of AI on citizen service. Simon King, director of AI and innovation at DWP Digital, highlighted the need for responsible AI implementation, emphasising human-centric design and ethical considerations. Liam Wilkinson, head of AI Incubation, incubator for AI – DSIT considered the balance between automation and human involvement, noting the importance of data integration and user experience, while Engagement Advisor, ACE – Home Office, Saba Segal Shaukat, stressed the role of AI in enhancing efficiency and maintaining consistency across multiple channels. All agreed on the importance of transparency, explainability, and empathy in AI development, aiming to improve public service satisfaction and trust.
Dr Ravinder Singh Zandu, head of digital and systems, Government Commercial Function – Cabinet Office, presented on legacy modernisation and innovation in government services. This included the need to modernise outdated government systems to improve citizen access, reduce costs, and increase security. This includes application rationalization and architecture optimisation. He advised organisations should prioritise modernising the most critical legacy systems first, while exploring opportunities to enhance existing technologies rather than complete replacements.
Murat Soncul, head of privacy and Rhian Jones, head of data policy and strategy at the Central Digital and Data Office (DSIT) focused on privacy as a way to build trust with citizens and professionals, rather than just for compliance. They shared strategies for engaging diverse communities, including hard-to-reach groups, in discussions around data sharing and privacy. They also addressed cultural and perception barriers to data sharing within government, beyond just legislative barriers, and detailed DSIT’s efforts to enable more joined-up government data sharing by reducing duplication and improving collaboration.
Finally, a future of digital government session emphasised collaboration across central and local government departments, focusing on user-centric design, simplified services, and innovative funding models. Experts from the DVSA, Cabinet Office Digital, Home Office and the Ministry of Justice called for a single digital purpose and stressed the importance of people understanding and adopting digital services. The panel also stressed the importance of system thinking, breaking down silos, and discussed the need for better communication and celebration of successes to improve public perception and trust in government services.
