Government tech consultants need to be more like Mary Poppins
Too many public sector entities have become dependent on consultants who have outstayed their welcome, according to Romy Hughes of Brightman
Local government transformation needs leadership support and understanding
If councils wish to make their digital ambitions a reality, senior managers need to familiarise...
Data must be treated as a national asset
An information monopoly is a danger that must be taken seriously, argues Simon Hansford of...
More Content
Arvato public sector chief: Councils must tap into big data to fill empty homes
Debra Maxwell, chief executive officer for customer relationship management and public sector at Arvato, looks at how big data can help local authorities bring in more revenue.
Wachter review of NHS IT is 'based on an heroic assumption'
Bob Wachter’s recommendations for digitising the NHS are measured, realistic and long-term, but could still fail without doctors’ buy-in, argues David Walker.
Informed, inspired care: Lessons from Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire Health and Care’s Gary James explains how the county’s new integrated Care Portal system aims to transform healthcare for an ageing and widely dispersed population.
Microsoft’s UK data centre signals a turning point for public sector cloud compting
Mark Skilton of Warwick Business School says that the opening of Microsoft’s three UK data centres marks another step on the road to full public sector adoption of cloud computing in the country.
Socitm brands Wachter review of health IT ‘disappointing’
Martin Ferguson, Socitm’s director of policy and research, says that the review of health information technology led by clinician and IT expert Bob Wachter has missed the opportunity to include local government perspectives.
Putting citizens at the heart of digitisation
Chris White, head of digital solutions at Capita Software Services, looks at how councils can use single sign-on citizen portals to improve services and support vulnerable residents.
Healthcare IT: How to manage a mammoth network
Joe Kim, chief technology officer at IT monitoring and management tools developer SolarWinds, looks at the scale of the problem faced by healthcare organisers handling ever-increasing amounts of data and offers five ways they can tackle it.
Why we should be more afraid of the cultural chasm than the digital skills gap
The public sector might know what core digital skills it is short of, but its across-the-board capacity to embrace change is the key problem, according to Mel Ross of transformation consultancy Adapt2Digital.
Home Office Digital developer: Departmental culture is excellent for women
As PublicTechnology looks at diversity in public sector technology careers, Home Office developer Barbara Cassini reflects on her experiences as a female developer in both public and private sectors, saying that some offices are just better than others.
Building the Data Foundations for Smart Cities
The next generation of data storage and processing technologies will be critical to the success of smart cities, says James Norman.
Integrated care systems need integrated security, says medical IT expert
Chief clinical information officers must be given more powers to tackle the risks of integrated care models to stop them being undermined by security breaches, writes Saif Abed, Imprivata's medical director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The naysayers are wrong about the future of GDS, says digital inclusion specialist
The Government Digital Service is evolving not retreating, and its new leader has the chance to complete the cultural shift from confrontation to collaboration, writes Matthew Trimming of entry market company META
GDS shake-up is a victory for senior officials at the expense of citizens
Former senior civil servant Andrew Greenway says that big leadership changes in government digital are likely to be seen as a triumph only by those who believe that a government organised along Victorian lines is still fit for fixing today’s...
Trust in the social services: Can recording meetings build better relationships?
High-profile social care reviews have highlighted the need for comprehensive record-keeping. James Foley, vice-president for customer experience at BT smartnumbers, asks whether the electronic recording of meetings could improve trust between clients and social workers.
Clouded vision: What to think about when you think about web services
Budget pressures are persuading governments to look to the cloud to improve services while keeping costs down. Max Peterson of Amazon Web Services sets out five questions to ask yourself along the way.
Digital transformation needs a little more talk and much more action
A straw poll session at this year’s Socitm Spring Conference revealed some uncomfortable insights on the state of digital transformation across the UK public sector. Mel Ross looks at what’s to be done.
Digitisation of the court system must not decrease access to justice
Faced with the effects of years of austerity and ageing technology, investing in digital will be essential for the justice system - but new technology must work for the people, writes Melanie Mylvaganam, IT policy analyst at the Bar Council.
Editor’s letter: From universities to councils, and why diversity should be a major part of our coverage
PublicTechnology’s new online editor Rebecca Hill talks about the similarities between her old and new beats, as we launch our series focusing on diversity in public sector technology.
iCouncil: Do robots have what it takes for local government?
AI might be flavour of the month, but are robots really the future for council services? Stuart Dorman, chief innovation officer at Sabio, says that robots don’t have all the answers.
A blustery future is one of Brexit’s few certainties
As part of PublicTechnology's Brexit series, Socitm president Geoff Connell says that we shouldn’t jump to conclusions about the effect of the referendum as there is still much legal wrangling to be done.
Brexit mathematics: The effects of leaving the EU might add up for councils
As part of PublicTechnology’s Brexit series, David Walker does some number-crunching to try and figure out what the referendum vote might mean for local government systems.