Features
Analysis: gaps in procurement transparency are nothing new
The health secretary cited the demands of coronavirus response after being rapped for failing to meet publication deadlines for major contracts. But perusing procurement databases suggests this is no anomaly, PublicTechnology finds
‘We’ve launched 18 new digital services since the start of the pandemic’
Worcestershire County Council’s digital delivery leader Jo Hilditch tells PublicTechnology...
Vendor view: The impact of Covid on local government’s supplier relationships
PublicTechnology talks to David Hipwell from SAP Concur about the role of the public...
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Interview: How digital had 'a ringside seat' in Singapore's pandemic response
The Singaporean government’s response to Covid-19 has made extensive use of digital, devices, and data – not always uncontroversially. PublicTechnology talks to Kok Ping Soon, the head of GovTech Singapore, to find out more.
‘When coronavirus struck, we accelerated, because citizens were struggling’ – how DWP revamped the Budgeting Loans service
The pandemic illustrated the importance of work to improve a service offering support for society’s most vulnerable, product owner Sharron Wise tells PublicTechnology
Will local government transformation be set back by coronavirus?
Having long suffered from a scarcity of funding, councils could be forgiven for deprioritising investments in new tech. But public and private and sector leaders tell PublicTechnology that digital has never been more important.
Has the High Court outlawed mass computer surveillance?
Privacy campaigners have hailed a major victory as a judgement declares the use of general warrants unlawful. PublicTechnology takes a closer look.
The biggest stories of 2020 – part two
PublicTechnology completes our round-up of the most read and significant stories of 2020
The biggest stories of 2020 – part one
PublicTechnology rounds up the most-read and significant stories we covered this year
Was 2020 a watershed for public sector use of algorithms?
This year saw public protests about the use of predictive analytics in decision-making. As the technology becomes more widely used in many public services, PublicTechnology asks experts about the implications for government, the law – and the citizens affected
Analysis: how has coronavirus impacted local government IT spending?
PublicTechnology analysis of government data shows that the volume and value of IT and digital services contracts in the local government sector has been hit this year
How automation and data-sharing enabled DWP to transform the state pension service
After a digital and data revamp, more than half of claims are entirely self-service, product owner Vicky Coatesworth tells PublicTechnology
‘This year has really made the case for what we’re trying to do’
At the end of a challenging year, local government chiefs discuss the impact on digital and data
Cyber resilience and the public sector
The public sector must focus not only on attacks, but on how it responds and recovers from them, Zerto and Cyber Security Scotland told attendees at the recent Local Government ICT Summit
Interview: UK national statistician on how data has helped the PM – and the public – in coronavirus response
To mark World Statistics Day, Professor Sir Ian Diamond talks to PublicTechnology about how the work of statisticians has been crucial in supporting government’s pandemic response, as well as his thoughts on the media and politicians’ use of numbers, and how the ONS is preparing for the census
How can councils create a digital workplace?
At the recent Local Government ICT Summit, PublicTechnology talked to Gloucestershire County Council and SAP Concur about how authorities can support new ways of working
What sensitive data did the Home Office lose in Belgrade?
Department’s annual report shows, for the first time in many years, documents or data lost from a secure government building had to be reported to the ICO. PublicTechnology finds out more.
‘Unless you get the ethics of data right, you'll fail on the effectiveness as well’
The head of the Royal Statistical Society Stian Westlake talks algorithms, politicians and the current ‘favourable wind’ gathering in government behind his profession
The coronavirus ‘infodemic’: truth and conspiracy online
The spread of online misinformation during the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated a public health crisis. PublicTechnology digs into a recent parliamentary inquiry to find out more about the response from social media companies and government
Ministerial caricatures, presidential letters, and overseas stamps – FCDO lifts lid on 300 years of documents
The newly created department has published a full inventory of the nearly 10,000 paper documents that form its archive
Lifesaving data – how NHS Digital has worked with researchers to support coronavirus response
Research director Tom Denwood explains how the national digital services agency has helped use information to better understand issues including effective treatments for Covid-19 and the impact on patients suffering from other conditions
What does the Huawei ban mean for the Emergency Services Network?
The Home Office tells PublicTechnology work is on track and security risks are ‘minimal’. But onlookers remain concerned about the implications of the presence of Huawei technology in the new network for police, fire and ambulance services.
Inside DWP’s digital coronavirus response – APIs, reuse and micro-services
In the face of huge demand for its services, the DWP was able to call on a library of reusable tools, the department’s integration lead Jacqui Leggetter tells PublicTechnology
‘We are a British company with only British datacentres – and a commitment to pay our taxes’
UKCloud has joined the major cloud players in signing a public-sector wide agreement. The firm’s CEO Simon Hansford tells PublicTechnology why it’s important for government to have choice.