Think Digital Government: Highlights

The UK Government’s published blueprint for digital public services includes a six-point plan for digital reform and a major reorganisation of government’s digital centre. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are at the forefront of those plans. So, what does all that mean for the future of digital government? That was the topic under discussion at the Think Digital Government event this week.

Highlights among a packed schedule includes a revealing fireside chat with Karl Hoods CBE, the Group Chief Digital & Information Officer at the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Department for Science Innovation & Technology. Heading the Integrated Corporate Services (ICS), Hoods has pioneered a model that currently supports 13 different organisations and approximately 20,000 users.

“We’re trying to flip the traditional pyramid of service delivery by concentrating on utility services and driving maximum commonality across government platforms,” he said.

The approach focuses on creating a three-tiered service model. “We’re looking at how we can standardise core desktop computing, then develop common service layers, and only then address truly unique organisational needs,” said Hoods.

Central to this transformation is a shift from traditional organisational structures to a product-led approach. “We’ve moved from functional expertise silos into multidisciplinary teams aligned around platforms,” Hoods revealed. This approach aims to deliver solutions more efficiently, with the goal of “delivering something once and using it many times.”

Blueprint for modern digital government

Hoods was joined by Lisa Allen, director of data services at The Pensions Regulator, to discuss the opportunities from the blueprint for modern digital government.

Allen emphasised the importance of breaking down departmental silos. “We need to join up across government departments,” she said. “Between TPR, FCA, Bank of England, DWP, and HMRC, we can capture data once and use it many times to make it a true utility.”

Hoods stressed the significance of multi-disciplinary teams and systems thinking. “It’s about co-creating solutions beyond the boundaries of departments, agencies, and the wider public sector,” he said.

The panel identified several key challenges, including risk appetite and AI implementation. Allen noted the danger of treating AI as a “silver bullet”, advocating for a more nuanced approach: “We need to understand the problem statement first, not just default to solutions like Copilot.”

Future of digital government

Finally, there was the regular ‘future of’ panel session to close out the day (pictured), where experts considered the opportunities and threats in both the short and long term and digital government.

Mike Potter, former chief digital officer of the UK Civil Service, said there is a need to prioritise leadership mindsets over traditional skill sets. “We need leaders with risk appetite, willingness to experiment, and ruthless focus on outcomes,” he said.

Professor Jacqueline O’Reilly, principal investigator and co-director of Digital Futures at the Work Research Centre highlighted the complex landscape of digital technology adoption. Her research revealed significant variations in digital integration across different countries, with the UK characterised as “ambitious but fragmented.”

O’Reilly also warned about the challenges of technological infiltration, noting the uneven adoption of tools like AI across organisations. “Some people are firing off like the wild west, while others are scared to hit the button,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Jessica Figueras, co-founder of Cyber Governance for Boards, delivered a stark warning about cybersecurity risks. She described the current digital era as entering a “fourth generation” of technological integration, where automation is becoming ubiquitous.

Figueras stressed the importance of resilience, urging service owners to consider how they would deliver critical outcomes if digital services were offline for extended periods. “We should be planning for scenarios where recovery takes years, not months,” she said.

The panel unanimously called for more nuanced, realistic approaches to digital transformation. They advocated for learning from international examples, such as Estonia’s proactive digital resilience strategy and Canada’s comprehensive digital policy approach.

The discussions all underscored the need for government to balance technological innovation with careful, ethical implementation, ensuring digital services remain user-centered, secure, and resilient.