Digital, Data & Technology

UK to publish civil service ‘innovation map’

The UK’s Government Digital Service (GDS) has created a tool to map and record innovative use of technology across the country’s civil service bodies. GDS director general Kevin Cunnington announced […]

The rise and fall of GDS: lessons for digital government

Founded in 2011, the UK’s Government Digital Service led the world in transforming online services; but Britain’s digital reforms have since slowed. When three of the key figures in GDS’s […]

Courting capability, part 1: tempting talent into civil services

In many countries, the pressures to cut budgets and introduce digital services have created a need for technical professionals at the most senior levels of government – but most civil […]

Former UK CTO calls for reform of digital funding systems

The UK government needs to find a better way to finance its digital transformation, according to the government’s former chief technology officer. James Stewart, who co-founded the UK Government Digital […]

Hong Kong court overturns landmark benefits ruling for gay civil servants

A Hong Kong court has overturned a landmark judgment that civil servants in same-sex marriages are entitled to the same benefits as their heterosexual colleagues. The Court of Appeal ruled […]

Transforming routine work: the rise of the robots

Digitally transforming a service can bring huge rewards – but replacing a legacy system is often complex and risky. So many governments are introducing Robotic Process Automation, stripping the routine […]

Spend it wisely, part 2: the digital marketplace

Government procurement systems are being transformed by a new wave of digital marketplaces and buyer-vendor matchmaking platforms. James Johns examines the new channels open to civil servants charged with buying […]

The promise and risks of artificial intelligence: Global Government Summit 2018, part 4

Artificial intelligence and real-time data streams could dramatically cut costs and improve outcomes in the operation of government and public services. But as delegates discovered at the 2018 Global Government […]

Niger civil service clash over digital exam

A scheduled entrance test for positions in Niger’s largest state government was cancelled at the last minute over Easter due to conflicts within its civil service commission. More than 3,500 […]

UK’s culture department takes data policy from embattled GDS

On Easter Sunday, the UK prime minister gave the culture department control of data policy. The move further weakens the once-pioneering Government Digital Service, whose ‘spend control’ financial levers are […]