GDS Launches New Unit to Boost Local Digital Government Collaboration

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has announced the creation of a new initiative: GDS Local, a dedicated unit within GDS designed to strengthen collaboration between central and local government and improve digital public services across the UK.

According to a GDS blog post, the unit will focus on three areas:

Developing a strategic vision for local government technology: Working with the Local Government Association (LGA), the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) and local practitioners to co-create a technology vision that supports “shared products and components”.

Unlocking local data potential: Breaking down barriers to data sharing across services so that “teams can better access the data they need to make informed decisions, identify trends and demonstrate impact”.

Making GDS products available to local authorities: Enabling local services to use the same platforms and tools used centrally, such as the GOV.UK App and GOV.UK OneLogin, so that residents “dramatically” reduce form-filling and repeat verification.

According to the guidance, GDS Local will “support local authorities to scale digital innovation”, “promote shared standards and technology across local and central government”, and help “make public services simpler, faster and more joined-up”.

In announcing the initiative, GDS emphasised that GDS Local “forms part of the GDS blueprint for a modern digital government and contributes to plans to build a more productive and agile state”.

The launch signals a renewed focus on bridging the gap between national digital government initiatives and local authority services. By emphasising a “joined-up approach” to buying technology, shared products, and data infrastructure, GDS hopes the initiative sets the stage for more coherent and efficient service delivery at the local level.

For digital government practitioners, the move represents an opportunity to leverage central government tools and standards, and participate in a shared ecosystem, potentially reducing duplication, improving citizen experience and making service delivery more sustainable.

GDS will work with the MHCLG, LGA and councils over the coming months to define the strategic vision, initiate data sharing pilots, and begin onboarding local authorities into central-tools programmes. Interested parties are encouraged to register their interest as early as possible to join the learning networks and innovation programmes.