The Government Digital Service is the new name for the organisation created by the merging of Directgov and the Cabinet Office Digital Delivery and Digital Engagement teams, following the recommendations of the Martha Lane Fox review “Directgov 2010 and Beyond”. The organisation will be led by Chris Chant and will be based in the Cabinet Office as part of the Efficiency and Reform Group.
This new organisation will be the centre for digital government in the UK, building and championing a ‘digital culture’ that puts the user first and delivers the best, low cost public services possible. To deliver this vision and the government’s digital priorities requires a new streamlined, agile organisation and an operating structure with an integrated, flexible team of skilled staff.
We will keep you posted as further details become available.
12 comments
Comment by A simpler and better digital presence | Stephen Hale posted on
[...] Martha Lane Fox recommendations will be implemented in full. Before we know it we’ll have a Government Digital Service and a single domain for government. We need to prepare ourselves for changes that we know are [...]
Comment by Leadership Development posted on
About time the government started taking Digital technology seriously. They could do a lot more to promote business through this method..it's unbelievable how so many businesses in this day and age still don't know how to make the most of the web!
Comment by Experimental single UK Government services website launched posted on
[...] Government Digital Service have launched a very early prototype of their unified Government services website, which is set to [...]
Comment by Graham posted on
I feel sorry for those in rural area's, the decline in services is awful, I cannot see BT or any other provider laying optic fibre for many years, the amount of households it would serve just would not justify the cost. The government has to find the funding to enable rural communities to connect to high speed broadband or thousands of business's will be left behind.
Comment by Paul posted on
Below are the things the Cab Office summarised Matha's excellent report as asking for. Her actual report was somewhat sharper and suggested the whole project be completed in 2 years. That was many months ago. My question: when are these things going to be done?
Making Directgov the ‘customer champion with teeth’ to drive up the quality of government’s online services.
Simplifying the user experience of digital public services by making all of government’s transactional services available through Directgov.
Ensuring online government information and services are available wherever people are on the web by opening up applications and services to other organisations
Recruiting an Executive Director for Digital and Information in the Cabinet Office to drive change and bring together existing teams working in this area
Asking Directgov and Business Link to create a plan of what would be involved to converge the sites into a single domain
Comment by Government Digital Service launches to oversee public services | Product Sourcing - Industrial News posted on
[...] Government Digital Service (GDS) has been created through a merger of the Cabinet Office Digital Delivery and Digital Engagement [...]
Comment by Somerset posted on
Expecting local people to install their own broadband is a pipedream. BT is doing 2/3 with their own money, BDUK funds do beyond that, but how far?
Comment by Government Digital Service launched to oversee Whitehall websites | TechCognize || Nonstop Technology posted on
[...] The new unit will be “the centre for digital government in the UK”, according to a Cabinet Office blog post on its remit. [...]
Comment by Michael Cross posted on
You could have called it the Office of the e-Envoy - might have saved a fortune on stationery! Seriously, it sounds like a good move.
Comment by William posted on
Good luck. Well done Martha; best wishes Chris. All sounds good: open information, feedback, conversation and innovation are all very important. All makes sense.
There's more though. If you're going to put the user first the most promising area for improvement in digital public services is a new approach to personal data, restoring control to the individual. This builds on and brings together existing work on ID assurance, consumer empowerment, and participative public services such as education, health and job seeking.
Is restoring control over personal data to individuals in the Government Digital Service remit, or does it lie elsewhere?
Comment by cyberdoyle posted on
excellent. Looking forward to engaging with you about the lack of internet access for rural people. A third of the country can't get a fit for purpose connection, so we try to speak digitally on their behalf. What are you going to do about it?
BDUK isn't having much effect so far. Removing the VOA tax and compulsory purchase of the infrastructure the incumbent refuses to upgrade might be a start, and then we can start to JFDI all ourselves. A level playing field is needed, otherwise the incumbent will get all the funding and only do the urban areas like last time. Enable your people and there will truly be a digitalbritain. Give the money to BT and only 2 thirds will get online. The rest will stay analogue.
chris
Comment by Angus Fox posted on
What, exactly will be the remit. How will it build things? How will it champion them?
thanks
Angus