Category: Digital Government
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Why are we ashamed of marketing?
One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that within the Public Sector we seem to be ashamed of the idea we might need to market our products and services. In the Private Sector, Product Management as a profession grew out of the marketing profession. In the Pubic Sector we stress the importance of planning…
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The importance of having a Product Mindset.
This week is @DWPDigtials Product Mindset week; with some fantastic sessions and Digital Showcases on the work DWP have been doing to deliver Products that add value for users; with sessions covering things like storytelling, Design thinking, Product Management, Prioritisation and how we should be using data to help decision making, etc. The resounding…
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Encouraging join up across Departments.
Yesterday at GovCampNorth, there were multiple pitches all based on one common theme; how we can encourage and support collaboration and sharing across Government Departments. The reason given behind increasing this collaboration was varied; from improving opportunities for re-use and the sharing of best practices; to the opportunity to tackle and solve societal problems that…
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How do we make legacy transformation cool again?
Guest blog first published in #TechUk’s Public Sector week here on the 24th of June 2022. Legacy Transformation is one of those phrases; you hear it and just… sigh. It conjures up images of creaking tech stacks and migration plans that are more complex and lasting longer than your last relationship. Within the Public Sector,…
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Maximising the Lean Agility approach in the Public Sector
First published on the 26th June 2022 as part of #TechUk’s Public Sector week here ; co-authored by Matt Thomas. We are living in a time of change, characterised by uncertainty. Adapting quickly has never been more important than today, and for organisations, this often means embracing and fully leveraging the potential of digital tools.…
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Assessing Innovation
(co-written with Matt Knight) Some background, for context Just over a month ago I got approached to ask if I could provide some advice on assessments to support phase two of the GovTech Catalyst (GTC) scheme. For those who aren’t aware of the GovTech Catalyst Scheme, there’s a blog here that explains how the scheme…
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Cost vs. Quality
A debate as old as time, and a loop that goes around and around; or so it seems in the Public Sector commercial space. Every few years, often every couple of spend control cycles, the debate of cost vs. quality rears its head again; with Commercial weighting flip flopping between Quality as the most important…
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Is it time for Flexible Working to actually become flexible?
Does the Public Sector need to embrace Hybrid working or risk loosing its workforce? The majority of job adverts within the Public Sector (and beyond) feature the phrase – “We offer flexible working” as a benefit. However, this flexible working is limited on how flexible it can be; generally its telling you they don’t mind…
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Service Owner vs. Programme Manager vs. Product Lead
What’s the difference? Does the name matter? Over a year ago, following an interesting chat with David Roberts at NHSBSA, I got to thinking about the role of the Service Owner; and why the role wasn’t working in the way we intended back in the dawn of the Service Manual. This in turn (as most…
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How to be a Product Advocate
Why you need a Product Person in your team. Since joining Kainos a few weeks ago, I’ve had a number of conversations internally and with clients about the relationship between Delivery and Product; and why I as a Product Person moved over to Delivery. My answer to that question was that, having spent over 10…