Disclosure and Barring Service

In 2017, when I joined the Civil Service, my initial pre-conceptions around the sector and underlying technology/ practices proved quickly to be misguided and ill-informed. I was genuinely impressed with the calibre, maturity, and delivery drive I encountered across the sector. Approaches and achievements were undoubtedly equivalent to the private sector organisations I held in high regard, however, the scale, criticality, and ensuing potential for media coverage undoubtedly affect the delivery landscape and risk tolerance. This was by no means a criticism, purely an observation as I crossed between sectors.

The Government technology landscape has changed significantly in recent years in my opinion. The use of agile delivery principles has become much more mainstream in the sector, which is undoubtedly affecting technology choices and implementation practices positively.

I’ve noticed a real shift towards user-centric design and placing the customer at the heart of product development. The use of real, tangible data within product development has also progressed significantly in recent years, ensuring that services are built on insight rather than assumption. The fact that many of the complex Government digital services are now spectacularly easy to use and navigate is strong evidence of this transformation.

Without doubts, this is very much work-in-progress for the sector, as many legacy platforms are re-engineered to accommodate this approach. However, the direction is clear and the evidence available for all to see.

"We have huge ambitions to transform our workplace environment into a ‘work from anywhere’ culture; the goal being to improve wellbeing and work/life balance for colleagues, and create a much stronger employee value proposition whereby DBS becomes an employer of choice"

The use of robotic process automation has been one of the more topical technology trends within the sector recently, with many Government organisations using the technology to increase integration and automation between legacy application platforms. Whether this is a long-term trend remains to be seen, and I would hope that as agile development principles and increased integration sophistication become more prevalent, the necessity for RPA may reduce in many use cases. Within DBS, RPA technologies are on the horizon, however, the capability is being treated very much as a ‘quick win’ or temporary solution rather than a strategic direction – rightly or wrongly.

The push to cloud infrastructure is clear, and in my own opinion this is very positive. Although as the shift towards ‘true’ cloud environments undoubtedly represent a mind-set shift for government technologists, the supporting finance and commercial functions must also embrace this in order for it to be adopted – and useful.

Whilst the technologies and delivery principles used are often second to none, irrespective of private vs public sector comparisons, the surrounding government operating environment continues to lag in many areas. Whilst this may seem critical, I see it as a natural evolution. The technology and delivery landscape have enjoyed a seismic shift in recent years towards an iterative, agile operation, and the supporting and enabling business functions now need to follow quickly. A mindset shift away from monolithic outsource agreements and technology platforms towards a disaggregated microservices approach is good for government services, in my opinion. However, it should be acknowledged that decades of existing business processes and cultural myths now need to be re-engineered to embrace and support a new way of working.

This cultural shift also applies to government technology suppliers, who should acknowledge this change in approach, whilst simultaneously acknowledging that the government technology sector is very much in a period of transition. Therefore, the agile, collaborative partnership approached they may discuss in government technology circles may not be readily evident when progressing through a procurement process. Acknowledgement of this scenario and support in assisting with the transition can often be the difference between short term engagement and long-term strategic partner.

Like many organisations, the impact of Covid19 has been significant for DBS in terms of technology delivery. Whilst the situation has not derailed any technology projects in their entirety for DBS, the delivery landscape has undoubtedly become significantly more complex and challenging. Is this a bad thing? Personally, I believe not. We have huge ambitions to transform our workplace environment into a ‘work from anywhere’ culture; the goal being to improve wellbeing and work/life balance for colleagues, and create a much stronger employee value proposition whereby DBS becomes an employer of choice. Through this lens, the unfortunate and difficult Covid19 circumstances experienced this year have been a driver for DBS to invest in technology solutions that are not only tactically necessary but also of significant strategic importance. Secure remote access systems and organisational collaboration tools form the majority of the Covid19 technology response, with an emphasis on inter-organisation collaboration, rather than a pure focus on internal improvements, recognising that our strategic partners and suppliers are very much in the same situation.

The adoption of new ways of working, and a significant cultural shift towards a remote workforce, has not been without challenge. However, the initial hypothesis that team communications will suffer failed to materialise. Many teams positively and proactively adapted to the new conditions, resulting in staff noticing that interactions had actually improved in these circumstances. Not all areas have adapted as easily or readily; however I believe that the existing government ‘Smarter Working’ initiatives have placed the Civil Service in a strong position to cope with 2020.

My advice to suppliers and budding entrepreneurs wishing to engage with the Civil Service and government technology, in particular, would be to recognise the transformation that is currently underway in this sector. The technology is often spectacular, but also often legacy. The delivery principles are often agile, but also often waterfall. A successful supplier would do well to recognise the unquivering direction of the government technology sector but keep a pragmatic eye on the current maturity levels. The supplier who can acknowledge these conditions, while still driving the sector towards its strategic ambitions will be a much sought-after partner.

It goes without saying that this year is likely to re-define the very concept of the workplace for many government organisations. The entrepreneurial opportunities to enable a remote, diverse and inclusive workforce are huge.