Innovation and reform in central government - Reform, 45 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3LT Tuesday 25 March
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Innovation and reform in central government Roundtable seminar with Paul Maltby, Director of Open Data and Government Innovation at the Cabinet Office Reform, 45 Great Peter Street, London SW1P 3LT Tuesday 25 March
Reform is an independent, non-party think tank
whose mission is to set out a better way to deliver
public services and economic prosperity. Reform is a
registered charity, the Reform Research Trust, charity
no. 1103739. This publication is the property of the
Reform Research Trust.
We believe that by reforming the public sector,
increasing investment and extending choice, high
quality services can be made available for everyone.
Our vision is of a Britain with 21st Century healthcare,
high standards in schools, a modern and efficient
transport system, safe streets, and a free, dynamic
and competitive economy.
The roundtable seminar was financially
supported by Tata Consultancy Services:
Reform
45 Great Peter Street
London
SW1P 3LT
T 020 7799 6699
info@reform.co.uk
www.reform.co.uk
Innovation and reform in central government
Reform comment
Richard Harries,
Deputy Director, Reform
The 2014 Budget confirmed what many suspected including identifying what decisions they face that
– that the pressure on public finances will certainly could be informed by it, as well as the wider benefit
continue for this Parliament and, in all likelihood for of making their own data available in an appropriate
years to come. This means successful public service format. This requires permission from the individual
reform remains a top priority for UK central or the provider, which in itself requires assurance
government. With less money to spend, new and that this proves no risk to their security. To
innovative ways of delivering public services have to encourage data sharing the public and industry
be found; the potential of technology and data must must be reassured that their data is controlled but
be harnessed to deliver these efficiencies. In February also offered incentives to do so. We often share
the Government awarded £1.5 million to projects that data about ourselves with retailers in order to get
unlock data from public bodies, and in April’s Budget better deals. The Government must communicate
the Chancellor announced a further £42 million similar service “deals” that the public will be able to
investment in the Alan Turing Institute for Data access if their data is shared.
Science, to strengthen the UK’s aim to be a world Innovation and reform remain vital to this
leader in the analysis and application of big data. Government if it is to continue to deliver effective
Of course, data is only useful to the public services. To succeed, it must harness the
Government – or the public – if it supports them in ongoing pressure on public finances to drive a
making a decision. Moreover, raw data holds little change in the culture of the civil service and the
value to the majority of the population who have yet wider public – with stronger leadership from the top
to grasp its full potential in their day-to-day lives. and greater acceptance of the risks and benefits of
A technological cultural change is happening, but innovation.
there is more the Government can do to speed it up.
The skills of the civil service must be improved so
that the opportunities for innovation in our public
services, and the wider economic benefits this
brings, are better understood. Equally important is
the need to foster a culture that accepts a certain
level of risk in order to test new and innovative
approaches to public service delivery. This cultural
change requires leadership and permission from
Ministers and Senior Civil Servants, with explicit
reassurance that not only is it acceptable to take
risks in search of better solutions, but that such
behaviour will be visibly rewarded.
To ensure such reforms deliver the required
savings, cultural change and wider permissions
cannot be driven from the top-down. The public will
only engage with the data and reform agenda if
people understand how it is relevant to them,
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Innovation and reform in central government
Tata Consultancy Services
comment
Damien Venkatasamy,
Director of Public Sector,
Tata Consultancy Services
In March this year, the Office for Budget Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has witnessed
Responsibility (OBR) reported that public sector net a number of industries shift towards digital models
debt as a proportion of GDP would rise in 2015-16, of working. For example, digitisation has now
not fall, corroborating its earlier forecasts. It has completely revolutionised how the retail and
since been suggested that the Government’s fiscal financial service sectors operate. However, those
programme is deferring the pain of the crisis, transformations have been borne out of competitive
making next Parliament a “dumping ground” for pressure, rather than budgetary constraint.
problems deemed too difficult to resolve in this one. Business has to deliver more for less in order to
So will innovation and public service reform maintain margins and competitive advantage.
happen? All three main parties appear to recognise Digitisation requires putting the consumer at
that public sector budgets will be hit to an even the heart of the transaction process. It requires an
greater extent next Parliament than this, in order to organisation to consider how technology can make
meet the current Government’s borrowing targets. a difference to the consumer from the front to back
The question is whether the executive is enabled to office. For that reason, digitisation offers huge
innovate around tighter public finances. financial returns. For example, TCS digitisation
It is clear that the Government faces a choice projects in the public sector have been focused on
of either offering fewer public services, or innovating removing redundant steps in transaction processes
to deliver more for less. In the immediate term, to both improve the customer experience and
central government has put emphasis on innovation deliver financial savings.
as a means to deliver better public services in Innovation requires a nexus of digitisation,
periods of austerity. The Cabinet Office’s Digital mobilisation, big data and analytics. Digitisation has
Strategy and associated initiatives reinforce the the power to improve overall citizen experience of
ambition that technology will release innovation government services, but citizens should also be
across government and the public sector. mobilised through access from a variety of different
Innovation involves taking risks and embracing devices. Additionally, interpreting big data sets
the potential for failure. Yet this process of trial and through the use of analytics can provide valuable
error is not normally associated with the public insights into government-citizen interactions.
sector mind-set. In some cases, civil servants are Government needs to consider all these topics in
under greater pressure than their private sector collaboration to transform public services.
counterparts to deliver value for money, as they Integrating each new technological channel with
manage public accounts. The increasingly pre-existing ones, such as paper correspondence
popularised role of Select Committees through the and telephone, will be essential.
media has also increased public scrutiny of the Open data is not just about exposing vast
executive. waves of information to the electorate. The real
But the civil service should be enabled to take power of open data is an intelligent analysis of
some risks without the reproach of Parliament. This centrally-held information explicated in terminology
presents a real challenge. If the challenge is that the electorate can understand. For example,
overcome, innovation from new technologies can be while the creation of the OBR has brought welcome
released into the public sector. transparency to budgetary forecasts, the OBR’s
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Innovation and reform in central government
publications are still intractable to those without the
economic knowledge to interpret their models. Truly
open data should aid democracy, enabling citizens
to make better informed decisions and increasing
the transparency and accountability of government.
Sharing information across departmental
boundaries is another crucial aspect to achieving
open data. Yet cultural resistance to sharing
information is holding back innovation. Government
should embrace the opportunity to create a much
more holistic view of citizens and the services they
receive. Not least, good data sharing mechanisms
enable the detection of fraud and leakage in the
whole system.
There is huge opportunity for technology to
enable public service reform and alleviate pressure
within current budgetary constraints. Cultural
change is the biggest barrier to transforming
government in this way. However, if negative
attitudes towards central government reform can be
overcome, the vision of a highly innovative public
sector can be achieved.
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Innovation and reform in central government
Attendees
Patrick Barbour Haidee Bell Peter Campbell Alice Chadwick Kerry Chapman Clare Fraser
Chairman, Barbour Programme Manager, Director of Corporate Creative Economy Regional Director, Researcher,
Logic Ltd. Creative Economy, Affairs, The Business Open Data, NESTA Industry Marketing Reform
NESTA Services Association UK & Europe, Tata
Consultancy Services
Tim Harper Richard Harries George Leahy Rob Mallows Paul Maltby Tony O’Connor
Economic Adviser, Deputy Director, Deputy Director, Senior Policy Advisor, Director, Open Data CBE
Spending and Policy Reform Innovation Policy, Confederation of and Government Senior Analytical
Analysis, Department Department of Health British Industry Innovation, Cabinet Strategist,
for Business Office Department of
Innovation and Skills Health
Heather Savory Katy Sawyer Sonia Sodha Ricky Taylor Damien Venkatasamy Weijer Vermeer
Chair, Open Data Researcher, Reform Head of Public Strategic Analysis Director of Public Spokesman and
User Group Services & Consumer Team, Department Sector, Tata Political Attaché,
Rights, Which? for Communities and Consultancy Services Embassy of the
Local Government Kingdom of the
Netherlands
Claire Vigier
Policy Analyist,
French Embassy in
the UK
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Innovation and reform in central government
Edited transcript
Paul Maltby, Director, Open Data and
Government Innovation, Cabinet
the next Parliament”.
He said that there is a “sense of
You need more than
Office began by highlighting the role of government innovation and open the resources that
the Government Innovation Group in government data that sits somewhat government alone can
identifying both “the boundaries of awkwardly with people’s collective sense
government and where the edge of of what government is and what bring to bear.
government is,” in order to “draw in government does,” but that the role of
some of the new tools and techniques, the Group “is much more about the tools
and ways of thinking about the business and techniques” rather than specifying broader government machine, particularly
of government from the outside world outcomes. on the policy and operations side”. The
into the mainstream of government.” He He stressed the importance of second area was “the need for a different
also spoke of the Group’s role “and, in “thinking about how to involve and civil service mind-set in a world that is
the opposite direction, to be able to try activate citizens within the public policy necessarily more distributed, in part
and activate those individuals, charities, problem section…you need more than because of technology and the way in
social enterprises and businesses just the resources that government alone can which that has affected our lives.”
outside who are also interested in similar bring to bear,” and identified two areas With regard to digital he said “it’s
sorts of questions”. He also noted that for the discussion. The first was how clearly centre stage in the commercial
the “need is going to continue through digital and data can be “brought into the world in a different sort of way from
Paul Maltby
www.reform.co.uk 5Innovation and reform in central government
where we are in government… there are
too many times when I’ve been working
in a policy environment and the core skill
brought to bear is essentially one of
rhetoric and knowledge of where power
lies… and then analysis brought in after
the framing decisions are made.” He
suggested that there are “three areas
within this world of data and its potential
transformational impact on how
government is working. The first is on
open data… to take data that is in the
government machine, opening it up,
making it machine readable, reducing all
of the restrictions on re-use”.
The second is “around data sharing
within government… to be able to
observe the patterns of what happens on
things like social mobility or different
categories of the business sector, is Patrick Barbour
There are too many access to a range of these sort of tools
and techniques, making sure we’re
offers or innovating.” He described one
of the challenges to innovation as risk:
times when I’ve been acquiring the greater range of views into “More often than not it involves a degree
working in a policy a greater range of expertise into the of trial and error… It’s not culturally
policy making process... It’s also about ingrained within civil servants to take
environment and the using different analytical tools and risks, to want to try something and be
core skill brought to techniques. So I mentioned the data prepared to fail.” As a result of spending
side, but also behavioural insights or public money there is “an increased
bear is essentially one systems thinking or wellbeing policy…. amount of scrutiny from parliament itself,
of rhetoric and And then an agile methodology in terms and some of the committees… And then
knowledge of where of implementing the ideas.”
He concluded with the thought: “I
last but by no means least, there is the
media.” Leading on from this he posed
power lies. think there is really interesting potential the question: “how can the civil service
beyond the question of the IT and the find a way of taking some of the risks,
other services that we’re providing, that trial and error, in a way that enables them
something actually goes deeper into how to move forward without being pulled up
potentially very powerful”. He observed we think about what it is that we do, the in front of the Public Accounts
that an underdeveloped area in this was way in which we frame it around the user Committee or facing headlines in The
“the use of different types of data, the experience, the way in which we’re Daily Mail?”
unstructured data, the speed at which prepared to think differently.” He asked He observed that in industry the
some of that data is both available and the audience to share “the ideas that you “shift to the digital model…has been
redundant, and to be able to make use of have about where we should be taking borne out of competitive pressures rather
that within the government machine.” He things next, the opportunities that we than budgetary constraint. But it’s the
added that it was important to “bring haven’t explored, and also explain a bit same thing. They’ve got to deliver more
those patterns together to use the scarce more about how we’re working with with less in order to maintain margins
resources that we have in a different way others in government to do these things.” and a competitive advantage”. He also
and to use predictive analytics machine Damien Venkatasamy, Director of commented that “digitisation, is as much
learning in that space.” Public Services at Tata Consultancy about putting the customer at the heart
The third area was open policy Services (TCS) responded by agreeing of the whole transaction and looking at
making: “what we mean by open policy with the enduring importance of the topic how technology from the back office to
making is fourfold. First of all a mind-set and commented that “government faces the front office can really make the
that is willing to use new tools and a choice, really, of either doing less in customer, or in this case the citizen, the
techniques… then to be able to have terms of the range of public services it fulcrum of how the service is delivered”.
6 www.reform.co.ukInnovation and reform in central government
new. So I think there is a bottom-up
network approach to this. There is also a
top-down permissions thing, and I
cannot overstate the importance of that.”
He explained the importance of the
ministerial role in “encouraging innovation
and reform”, but that it is equally
important to “find a methodology that
enables us to fail in more appropriate
ways. So it’s tried and proven…
Somehow the idea that it’s less risky to
fail quickly and appropriately in a
relatively controlled way I think is not true.
I think it’s similar with the open policy
mind-set, to be able to go out and say
actually we’re only going to make this
happen if we can have a proper dialogue
with people who are fearful of it, people
who disagree with it, and people who are
Sonia Sodha a bit neutral.”
Therefore we need to look at “how we
can remove redundant steps from the
more holistic view of citizens and the
services they’re delivering to citizens as
Government has a real
process and make this easier from the well as detecting fraud and leakage in the opportunity to create a
citizen’s perspective.” system if they were able to share much more holistic view
He identified that the real information more effectively and
opportunities were not only around efficiently between departments. And I of citizens and the
digitisation but also “mobility – people don’t think that’s so much a services they’re
being able to access government technological issue there or barrier to
services from various different devices… that. I think it’s much more about the
delivering to citizens.
Big data and analytics – how to bring all mind-set and the culture.”
of those things together to improve the Patrick Barbour, Chairman,
customer experience rather than just Barbour Logic Ltd. then posed the
looking at any one of them in isolation… question: “the Civil Service’s own reform Sonia Sodha, Head of Public
And it’s also how do you integrate these plan talks about this culture of caution Services & Consumer Rights, Which?
new digital technological channels with and slow moving, focused on processes offered some reflections on Which?’s
your pre-existing ones to bridge all of and not outcomes, bureaucratic, work: Firstly, “we’re taking the decision to
those consumer behaviours.” hierarchical and resistant to change. invest in developing free-to-use advice
To conclude he turned to open How do you achieve a culture change?” sites for consumers off the back of some
data and made two observations. The Paul Maltby agreed that this was of this data that’s coming out of
first was that “it’s pretty inaccessible to “a really good question… Sometimes government, to help them hold their
the majority of the electorate…I think the there are good reasons for people to be public services accountable and to make
real power of open data is doing some cautious. But I think we’ve got that out of decisions about public services.” She
kind of intelligent analysis of that and kilter. And I think their Civil Service reform noted though, that “It’s not just about
putting it in terminology that the plan is appropriately straightforward putting the information out there…it
electorate can actually understand and about that.” He continued: “As you’ll see, takes a lot of investment …[so that] it’s
really use the power of open data to as in any large organisation, you will find really user friendly, that really helps real
increase democracy, transparency and those who want to innovate. What my people in their real-world lives to interact
accountability for the government.” teams do when they do it well – like the with some of this information.”
The final concluding observation people working on social investment, the Her second point was that “I think
was that there is “some cultural guys working on open policy making – is culture change actually is really important
resistance to sharing information across that they will be in touch at various all the way through. And if anything it’s
departmental boundaries. Government different levels with those people who are not just about the central civil service…
has a real opportunity to create a much willing to innovate and try something else we’ve had quite different experiences
www.reform.co.uk 7Innovation and reform in central government
actually in terms of professional error space the public are generally them, and then publicise them...to bring
cultures…some professions actually see supportive of the idea of maybe linking the public confidence with it; because
us as a threat to them and they’ve got tax records and benefit records and you care.data itself could actually put data
involved in the politics of government and could start to investigate it because sharing back rather than forward.” He
data and have lobbied quite strongly that’s trying to catch people. But actually identified three areas in the health space
against some of this stuff being released. when you’re starting to try and find that data could be used in: the first was
Or actually some professions have really innovations around other public sector “the classic research element – the more
embraced it and said this actually gives areas, like health records – and I don’t information you have, the more data you
us the power to go out there and tell need to draw too much attention to care. have”. The second was “the targeted
particular services they need to be data – there is a real risk that if we don’t services approach – where you can have
focusing on X, Y, Z which is what users get public confidence we won’t be able your dedicated healthcare”. The third
are really interested in.” to use the data in a way which will area that he suggested was to collect
Tony O’Connor CBE, Senior improve policy or the quality of services. the data and “provide it to the service
Analytical Strategist, Department of And this is where we need to identify providers in a way that they are
Health commented that he thought the those demonstrator projects which developing and learning and
culture “is changing slowly” but that “the actually show innovation and the system understanding in real time, from a
problem is of course we touch on some can change and deliver something larger data set which they weren’t aware
legal issues. And unlike in the commercial different.” of, so they can start to link together
sector, quite often we’re talking about He noted that it was necessary to different attributes.”
data about you. And that’s when people “free up some resources in order to get He concluded with the observation
start to get nervous. In the fraud and those demonstrator projects, identify that “Data is not information, information
Heather Savory, Damian Venkatasamy and Richard Harries
8 www.reform.co.ukInnovation and reform in central government
is not insight, insights aren’t solutions and SMEs rather than the same four massive
actually we need to work our way down providers. There is a huge amount of
How do you create
that spectrum, because in government opportunity there, and that is still those safe
there are plenty of problems, and actually
we’re looking for solutions. Just putting
something we’re chasing down.” He
noted that “What I think is interesting is
environments that has
the data out there doesn’t get us there.” one of the untapped spaces where you the confidence of
Peter Campbell, Director of have a degree of user voice or choice ministers to actually
Corporate Affairs, The Business when interacting with a public service…
Services Association commented that and actually the things that are there are allow you to take an
“more could be done in terms of the quite clunky…so I think there are still experiment?
public sector markets and the use of loads of things we could do.” He also
data when a public service is provided by added “there are obviously political
an organisation that is not governmental” choices about what we think
and noted that “in many cases when the government’s role should be in this without trying to engage too much first is
private sector provides a service, there is space, and I’m sure that that would vary one of the ways you can get things done
already more data, in terms of KPIs and according to different political parties. much more quickly than the current
similar. When the public sector provides But I’m somewhat wary of government design in public services.”
a service, if the same amount of going out and making lots of things. George Leahy, Deputy Director,
information was available for potential Sometimes – but I’m not sure that that’s Innovation Policy, Department of
our main role.” Health commented that: “Innovation in
Heather Savory, Chair, Open all forms comes in from different
Data User Group commented that “the directions. Sometimes you do need to go
There is almost too more data you think about being out, find the customer, find out what’s
much trying to ask the available, the more the opportunity in
both the public sector and for private
motivating them and design things
around them. Sometimes somebody is
public what they want sector companies. The real point about going have an idea and somebody needs
when they don’t innovation is you cannot anticipate what to be able to test it, try it, fail, let it fail,
people are going to do and we should improve it, develop it, and nobody paid
understand what the not try, the platform just needs to be for it anyway so it doesn’t really matter.
opportunities are. there.” She added that “the availability of That comes back to Paul’s points, really,
data and technology is fantastic but it and I think actually three things at the
does not substitute for the need to think, beginning that he mentioned around risk
the need to analyse, and the need to add taking and public money and the scrutiny
private sector, social enterprise or value to actually deliver things of benefit.” in the media and the politics…those
voluntary sector providers, then that She also addressed the view of the three points are completely interlinked…
would unleash a great deal of citizen: “the point that we need to get how do you create those safe
innovation.” He asked “is the view within across to the citizen is it is still their environments that has the confidence of
government that there has been this kind choice. It is about designing products ministers to actually allow you to take an
of big data dump and now it’s up to and services which they can choose to experiment?”
everyone else to sort the data out; or be part of or not. You’ve got to allow Tim Harper, Economic Adviser,
that we’ve reached a limit of the data people this opt out”. Spending and Policy Analysis,
that can be released because of Finally she added “I just caution Department for Business Innovation
ownership; or that there are further ideas everybody against trying to over-engage and Skills (BIS) offered some insights
and progress that can be made on with the public. Look at real technical into the approach that BIS is taking:
making sure that cost and output in innovation. Look at the mobile phone. “Rather than just roll out programmes
terms of public services is more readily Nobody ever wanted that; somebody and say this is what we’re going to do,
available, so that potential providers can designed it. Look at the tablet computer. it’s really started piloting and looking at
show what innovation they could bring to Nobody ever wanted that; somebody examples, seeing if it works, and then
the table?” designed it. I think that same mind-set waiting. There is a culture of waiting for
Paul Maltby responded that needs to be applied to the design of new the feedback to come in, then analysing
contracts are “going to go through public services. There is almost too much it and moving forward.” He also
another iteration” of scrutiny “but also trying to ask the public what they want mentioned the importance of “getting
you’re freeing up a market, as colleagues when they don’t understand what the evaluation data to see where we can get
at Government Digital Services have opportunities are…. But getting your the evidence from things that have gone
done, opening that world to innovative alpha testing of a new product out there on to inform the future.”
www.reform.co.uk 9Innovation and reform in central government
Haidee Bell, Programme
Manager, Creative Economy, NESTA
directed a question to Paul: “I wonder
what your ambitions might be for local
authorities?”
Paul Maltby responded: “Local
authorities are one of the big priorities to
make the shift on… what we’ve got to do
is to encourage that agenda around open
data, not just about expenses and
accountability type data but on to the
possibilities.” He offered examples from
Manchester (Future Everything) and
Leeds (Data Mill) as organisations that
say “this is how we can help you and
your citizens, rather than these are a set
of things you must do because the
government told you to do them.”
Kerry Chapman, Regional
Director, Industry Marketing UK &
Europe, Tata Consultancy Services,
added: “Local government is quite Katy Sawyer, Rob Mallows and Tim Harper
interesting because if you look at it, it’s
more like a private sector situation in that
one local authority doesn’t like to share benefit for us, it actually has huge export
with another local authority because If we are ahead of the potential too. So that’s where I think the
they’re looking for investment, housing to game in how we can government can support in terms of
develop, etc. So they’re almost like giving life to some of these ideas not just
competitors in the banking world,
use digital and data, not in terms of the UK but globally.”
whereas in government departments just as a benefit for us, Heather Savory added: “Business
they’re in the business of doing
government centrally.”
it actually has huge also needs to help government. The
issues around the procurement of public
He also shared the results of a export potential too. services are changing. So the rules are
recent survey that found “across local going to be changed such that there is a
and public leaders’ networks people presumption to have any data which is
want training… The next thing they want collected available as open data up front.
is they want sharing – they want the data there is certainly a competition across So that’s first of all because we’ve got
to be shared across government… And Europe to be the leading city that’s doing difficulties at the moment with legacy
the third thing is they want is leadership great stuff and showing its impact from systems. So getting that data out, there
and drive – they want to know what open data. There is a huge potential in are contractual things that need to
they’re going to do with it and why they there to try to win that. So maybe it change…But also in terms of openness
should do it.” He observed that these doesn’t need to follow the GDS and the and joint procurement, business has got
findings are “similar to what we see in the open data central model, but actually to to be prepared to have a little bit more of
private sector…in the private sector you try to build its own local capabilities.” a social conscience and be prepared to
can build it, and what’s the question? Rob Mallows, Senior Policy open up its own figures because you get
And that’s really what it comes down to Advisor, Confederation of British this response: ‘well, we can’t possibly
when you look at data and open data. Industry commented that there “is a have open contracting because how can
You can provide it, but why do you need tremendous sort of wellspring of ideas, we possibly be competitive in our
to provide it?” whether it’s from the public sector or industry?’ Well, most sectors know
Haidee Bell added that “There through data from the private sector” exactly what their competitors are doing
may be more innovation that can happen and that this provided “a huge export in the real world.”
at the local level…there is this in-built potential because economies all across Rob Mallows agreed with this and
competition that many of them want to the world are facing the same challenges. said: “We have put out a set of principles
be the first to get there. We work across If we are ahead of the game in how we very much responding to what you’re
Europe on a couple of programmes, and can use digital and data, not just as a saying in terms of building in right from
10 www.reform.co.ukInnovation and reform in central government
the get-go the principle about getting that taxonomy right so we’re Business has got to be
transparency around the contract data, using the same language.”
around access to data, around the FOI Sonia Sodha responded that prepared to have a little
agenda…There is absolutely a “actually when you step back and look at bit more of a social
recognition from us, and I think from our what some local authorities are doing,
members as well, that they have to come there is a real disconnect between these
conscience and be
part of the way as well, and I think we are mountains of data and what services are prepared to open up its
very much committed to transparency in
procurement.”
being offered. So I think it’s just a point
about capability and what central
own figures.
Tony O’Connor raised a concern government and other intermediaries can
“that we’ve got a solution and we’re still do that isn’t just letting a thousand
looking for the problem. And it’s actually flowers bloom that encourages that infrastructure of government and the
making sure that we know what we’re uptake.” public sector.” She added that it “needs
going to try to solve.” He also added that Paul Maltby then posed the data available of a good enough
there “is a risk of scope creep that we all question: “What are the areas that should standard, but also with commitment that
come here thinking about what our have happened by now but haven’t?” it gets refreshed and updated on a
version of what big data or transparency Heather Savory responded that known basis.”
is. And I think there is a call for the “For me, I think it’s about within the next Damien Venkatasamy offered an
potential of using analytics in a different twelve months gaining critical mass… in additional response that he “would have
way in order to improve services. But it’s terms of the training…and underlying IT expected a much wider range of services
Richard Harries, Tony O’Connor and Haidee Bell
www.reform.co.uk 11Innovation and reform in central government
to be available online and for that service Some will pass a new law. Some will tax Different cultures have
request to be fulfilled online in one someone. The sort of in-built, long-term
transaction.” He agreed that, in the movement. But seeing those [civil emerged because each
experience of TCS, “the real challenge servants] address this question of ‘how department has got its
from a technological standpoint has been do you bring some of these new tools
the legacy environment that we’ve and techniques into the way in which we
own preferred way of
inherited, the quality of the data, making do our business’ is something that doing things. Some will
sense of that in a digital delivery model…
a big challenge and a cost.”
actually makes me hopeful. There is a set
of people there who are actually deeply
regulate. Some will pass
Patrick Barbour asked “In how powerful individuals within the system a new law. Some will tax
many of the 16 departments of who are grappling with this in a practical someone.
government is the permanent secretary a sense and they’re getting their sense of
real champion?” corporate reward by bringing those
Paul Maltby responded “different things on.”
cultures have emerged because each
department has got its own preferred
way of doing things. Some will regulate.
Paul Maltby
12 www.reform.co.ukReform T 020 7799 6699
45 Great Peter Street info@reform.co.uk
London www.reform.co.uk
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