Investing in Innovation and avoiding the Hype in Digital Government

In this month's episode, we tackle a wide range of topics relating to the role of technology innovation, and the perils of hyped technology, within Digital Government.

Colin is joined by colleagues Jess McEvoy and Alex Segrove, who have both spent many years working in technology roles in the UK Government. They discuss how citizen-facing services have some challenging technology constraints simply because they must be usable by everyone. 

We also touch on the fascinating dynamic that exists between the government and technology vendors and partners. These suppliers have a lot of expertise and IP to offer that can solve some of the gnarly problems that exist on government-scale systems. However, care must be taken to avoid outsourcing your entire technology strategy. It is vital that the government remains an intelligent buyer.

Finally, we consider the sheer scale of government spending, £3.7 billion per annum, and the positive impact this has through stimulating innovation and creating opportunities. This investment has contributed to the UK Government's success in claiming the number 2 spot in the OECD Digital Government Index.

Links from the podcast:

• G-Cloud & DOS Spending Review to December 2021 – Advice Cloud
• GOV.UK – The best place to find government services and information 
• UK claims number 2 spot in OECD digital government rankings – Jess McEvoy