Sprint 15: Francis Maude speech
The Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude discussed the progress made in reforming and improving digital government.
It바카라 사이트檚 great to have the chance to be with you, to celebrate some of the things that you바카라 사이트檝e done and the things that have been achieved, and to reflect a bit on some of the things that are yet to come.
In December, we were privileged to host in London representatives from the 5 most advanced digital governments in the world for the first annual D5 conference.
We were hosting and leading the agenda 바카라 사이트� but actually the fact that the UK was even counted credibly among the 5 leading digital governments was a real achievement and shows just how far we바카라 사이트檝e come over the past 5 years.
Five years ago, if you바카라 사이트檇 typed a simple term like 바카라 사이트榤aternity leave바카라 사이트� into Google the results would have pointed you toward dozens of different government websites.
Now there바카라 사이트檚 just one.
Five years ago, if you바카라 사이트檇 wanted to apply for a student loan, you had to print off a form and send it by post 바카라 사이트� and that was the 바카라 사이트榦nline바카라 사이트� service 바카라 사이트� it was more dead tree than digital.
Now, these services are digital by default.
And 5 years ago, we were spending more than any almost any other government in the world on IT, but our rankings for effectiveness were low and falling.
Today we바카라 사이트檙e cutting costs, we바카라 사이트檙e embracing innovation and we바카라 사이트檙e opening government business to suppliers of all sizes. It바카라 사이트檚 all part of this government바카라 사이트檚 long-term economic plan to make sure we live within our means and we can meet the needs of our public.
Revolution not evolution
I바카라 사이트檓 delighted Martha-Lane Fox can be with us this afternoon to celebrate these achievements. When we formed the coalition government back in 2010, we knew we had to do things differently. We wanted Britain to be a leading digital government, so I asked Martha to conduct a review and she said we needed to do things completely differently. And that바카라 사이트檚 what we바카라 사이트檙e doing. We haven바카라 사이트檛 yet done it all, but we바카라 사이트檝e started.
We made a virtue out of necessity. Not only saving money but kick-starting a transformation to the whole way government works 바카라 사이트� designing services that are not only cheaper but simpler and faster; more convenient, and more responsive.
International recognition
Of course, the D5 isn바카라 사이트檛 the only measure of our success. The New Zealand government has taken the source code from 바카라 사이트 and used it for their own website. The Washington Post hailed the UK 바카라 사이트渁s setting the gold standard of digital government바카라 사이트�. The Obama administration has created a digital service explicitly modelled on GDS 바카라 사이트� right down to using the 바카라 사이트楰eep Calm and Carry On바카라 사이트� posters.
When I visited them they told me that whenever anyone asks them about what they바카라 사이트檙e doing they say 바카라 사이트渨e바카라 사이트檙e just copying what the Brits have done바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트o which the reply is 바카라 사이트渙h, that must be fine then바카라 사이트�.
Last month, I was emailed by Malcolm Turnbull, the Minister for Communications in the Australian government who said:
Francis, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery you should feel very flattered.
So we are leading the world in this.
We바카라 사이트檝e learnt a huge amount from other nations 바카라 사이트� I바카라 사이트檓 delighted that we바카라 사이트檙e joined today by representatives of the Estonian government, who will be hosting next year바카라 사이트檚 D5. They have been an inspiration to us. We바카라 사이트檙e also joined by representatives from the French government, who have been strong allies on the issue of transparency, joining the 바카라 사이트� I think is today the beginning of an 바카라 사이트榚ntente digitale바카라 사이트�.
So I바카라 사이트檇 like to thank everyone who has helped to transform digital government over the past 5 years. Because of the work you all do 바카라 사이트榞overnment IT바카라 사이트� has gone from a byword for failure to being a shining example of public sector innovation and reform.
I remember when I took a team of senior officials to the west coast of America in April last year: we visited Facebook바카라 사이트檚 headquarters. There was a poster that said: 바카라 사이트渢hey say that time changes things 바카라 사이트� actually, you have to change them yourself.바카라 사이트�
So whether editing code at your desk or travelling the country listening and learning about the needs of people using our services, these achievements are your achievements. You are the people that made this happen.
I know the hours can be long and many of you could probably earn much more elsewhere, but you have I hope the satisfaction of knowing you are making an historic difference; a world leading difference; a difference that improves the lives of our citizens every day. And that바카라 사이트檚 not to be sneezed at. It바카라 사이트檚 not trivial.
You바카라 사이트檝e shown actually what a civil service should be and can be at its best: skilled, innovative, challenging, disruptive. There was a time when the word 바카라 사이트榙isruptive바카라 사이트� in the civil service was a bad word, but now it바카라 사이트檚 a good word. We want people who are challenging and want things to be different. I always remember the sign on the wall of the civil service college in Singapore which simply read 바카라 사이트渆very public servant has a duty to challenge existing ways of doing things.바카라 사이트�
We need a culture right across the civil service and the public sector where people don바카라 사이트檛 just have permission to challenge existing ways of doing things, but a responsibility to challenge. Always to be questing to the next thing 바카라 사이트� how do we make it better, how do we iterate, how do we improve, how do we innovate바카라 사이트�.always to be restless about continuous improvement, because otherwise we바카라 사이트檙e going backwards.
Every organisation is either getting better or worse. If you think you바카라 사이트檙e staying the same, you바카라 사이트檙e getting worse. We have to be relentlessly questing for the improvement. And that바카라 사이트檚 what you바카라 사이트檙e doing.
And ultimately, it바카라 사이트檚 not just about spreadsheets and page hits. It바카라 사이트檚 about making a meaningful difference to people바카라 사이트檚 lives.
The new online application for the carers allowance is a case in point. Carers are very busy people. Every broken link, every word of jargon, every minute wasted searching for an answer, is a burden they could do without. They바카라 사이트檙e looking after people with serious illnesses. They deserve services that are quick and easy to use, designed around their needs, not the government바카라 사이트檚 needs. And that바카라 사이트檚 what we바카라 사이트檝e delivered.
Latest progress
So where are we now? The transition to 바카라 사이트 is complete. Over 300 websites transferred to just one. Last October, we celebrated the 1 billionth visit; saving taxpayers 拢60 million a year by comparison with what went before.
Eight of the biggest transactional services, like managing your tax and registering to vote, are now all digital.
The vehicle management service is the latest to go public of the 16 now in public beta testing.
There are currently 18 million annual transactions relating to vehicle records. That바카라 사이트檚 18 million pieces of paper! No wonder when I first went to DVLA they pointed to the dock where twice a day an articulated lorry arrived full of post. It doesn바카라 사이트檛 need to be done like that way and increasingly it isn바카라 사이트檛: it can be done online. Whether you바카라 사이트檝e bought a family car or you run a corporate fleet of vehicles, it means less time, less hassle, less paper, less cost.
We바카라 사이트檝e already said goodbye to the tax disc and the days of the paper driving licence are numbered. We바카라 사이트檙e building a properly digital government for the future, cutting costs and ensuring that millions of people and businesses can benefit from better services.
And we바카라 사이트檙e helping more people go online so they can use these services. Our aim is that all those who can go online are online by 2020. And for those who can바카라 사이트檛, there will always be an assisted digital option available.
Procurement, growth and SMEs
We바카라 사이트檝e also changed the whole approach to how government buys and supports IT. 바카라 사이트 contracts were too long, too big and too opaque. Now they바카라 사이트檙e smaller, shorter and more open, and that바카라 사이트檚 only the beginning. It바카라 사이트檚 our hope that by 2020 the remaining outsourced legacy technology contracts that are still in place will have gone.
Through the public sector organisations can purchase cloud-based off-the-shelf services on a pay-as-you-go basis, much like the iTunes or app store. This has helped open up government contracts to a constellation of new suppliers of all sizes, and all locations, who were previously almost deliberately excluded from being able to bid, let alone win, government contracts.
Just 2 weeks ago I visited Advent IM in Halesowen on the recommendation of the local MP James Morris 바카라 사이트� a 12-strong cyber security consultancy who have won business through our online G-Cloud. 87% of suppliers on the G-Cloud are small and medium sized enterprises, many of which had never done business with government before.
DVLA reckon they saved almost 拢2.25 million on creating the new driver record service when they worked with Hampshire-based SME Skyscape through the G-Cloud. But as well as getting a better deal for taxpayers, we바카라 사이트檙e also helping some of the most promising tech firms to grow. Cheshire-based Ixis saw a profit increase of 50% after winning contracts with government agencies and local authorities through the G-Cloud.
Today I can announce that last year total sales through the G-Cloud across the public sector reached over 拢430 million, with around half of this going to SMEs. It바카라 사이트檚 no wonder the UK government has been described as 바카라 사이트淓urope바카라 사이트檚 best start-up바카라 사이트�.
And we바카라 사이트檙e lucky to have pioneering tech businesses 바카라 사이트� not just in London, but right across the country 바카라 사이트� from Silicon Fen in Cambridgeshire and Silicon Glen in Scotland; to Belfast바카라 사이트檚 Silicon Dock and Birmingham바카라 사이트檚 Silicon Canal. Back in 2010 our suppliers were concentrated around London and a couple of locations in the south east. Now they바카라 사이트檙e spread right across the country. Check out our refreshed online suppliers map to see exactly where they are. And it바카라 사이트檚 growing all the time.
Supporting the digital economy
Last summer the Prime Minister asked me to chair the Digital Task Force, with Baroness Shields and Ed Vaizey at DCMS, which works to strengthen the UK바카라 사이트檚 position as a world-leading digital economy. One area of focus is digital and telecommunications infrastructure.
Each year we spend 拢1.5 billion on public sector networks. We wanted to know whether the taxpayer could get better value, so we asked the Taskforce to explore the capacity and capability that all those masts, fibre and cables around the country provide us with.
To be honest we didn바카라 사이트檛 know some of it existed. The reason we found out바카라 사이트� the IT controls. We found out that just in the transport sector alone, Network Rail and the Highways Agency owns some 13,000 miles of mostly fibre 바카라 사이트� some copper 바카라 사이트� and it바카라 사이트檚 massively underused. Paid for by the taxpayer, it바카라 사이트檚 a public asset and it바카라 사이트檚 not being used nearly enough.
So we바카라 사이트檝e mapped it. It바카라 사이트檚 not complete yet by any means. As we so often find, it바카라 사이트檚 not perfect. But today we바카라 사이트檙e publishing the first ever comprehensive map of public sector telecommunications and digital infrastructure. Not surprisingly, it shows surplus capacity which has been left untapped for far too long.
Public sector organisations have traditionally developed their own bespoke networks and technology, giving rise to duplication and under-utilisation. And that offers enormous potential.
By working more closely across the public sector we can deliver greater efficiencies, greater connectivity and more effective business solutions.
So for example, we바카라 사이트檝e identified over 1000 sites where placing mobile telephone masts on government buildings could help boost signal reception in heavily built up areas and bring in revenue for the taxpayer.
We바카라 사이트檙e also looking at whether using the existing Highways Agency emergency mobile communications network could help us replace the emergency phone boxes you see at the side of the motorways.
Last December we started exploring whether using the fibre optic capabilities that are used to control unmanned onshore wind farms could boost broadband connectivity in rural areas.
Where we바카라 사이트檝e got these public assets we need to liberate them to be used for public benefit. This infrastructure has been developed at the taxpayer바카라 사이트檚 expense and yet previous governments hadn바카라 사이트檛 even bothered to check what capacity the public sector already owned.
So we바카라 사이트檙e putting this right, to make maximum use of a significant national asset.
Next steps
So there바카라 사이트檚 a lot been done, but we must continue our efforts to rebuild the economy and focus resources on frontline services.
In December, we set out plans to make a further 拢10 billion of efficiency savings between 2017 and 2018 and an additional 拢15 to 拢20 billion for 2019 to 2020.
Digital has a big contribution to make.
바카라 사이트 as a platform
One of the ways we will do this is by creating cross government platforms for services that every department and agency can use. Before the last election, we were wasting money because departments thought they were unique and distinctive and convinced themselves that only the most expensive bespoke systems would do.
But it바카라 사이트檚 nonsense.
If one department needs a service for publishing information to the web, so will other departments 바카라 사이트� so why should they all pay money to different people to achieve the same end? Why not just build a publishing platform they can all use and share?
That was the principle behind 바카라 사이트. The same was true of Digital Marketplace and 바카라 사이트 Verify. Common systems that can be used by departments and agencies across Whitehall, removing duplication, minimising risks and cutting costs. Numerous other services across government that could 바카라 사이트� and should 바카라 사이트� share common platforms.
So I can confirm today that we바카라 사이트檒l develop prototypes for at least 3 cross-departmental platforms early in the next Parliament, starting with a common payments platform, with common systems for appointment bookings and messaging likely to follow.
Right now there are hundreds of agencies and arms-length bodies with their own payment system. This makes no sense. If you buy a bicycle or book on Amazon, you pay the same way. There바카라 사이트檚 no reason for government to be any different. The system should be the same whether you바카라 사이트檙e paying for a driving licence or a fishing licence, because it바카라 사이트檚 simpler and cheaper that way.
For those less confident internet surfers, common platforms means learning things only once. It also allow us to take better advantage of technological advances, without having to rebuild numerous different systems over and over again.
This could have potential right throughout the public sector 바카라 사이트� so you could pay your council tax or residents parking charge through the same system.
And to boost innovation, we will open up the secure interfaces 바카라 사이트� the APIs 바카라 사이트� of our digital services. This will allow others to integrate their services with ours 바카라 사이트� so you could, for example, buy your car tax at the same time as your car insurance.
If we can do all of this at scale we can dramatically improve public services and deliver them at a fraction of the current cost.
Digital technology and skills
We바카라 사이트檙e also bringing the latest equipment and software to civil servants, as well as introducing networked practices like Google Apps to make it easier for civil servants to work together and to communicate with the public. We바카라 사이트檙e expecting this to deliver a minimum of 40% cost savings on IT across government.
Cabinet Office has led the way. And many thanks to Richard Heaton and those who have led the project. Now we바카라 사이트檝e got 2,500 people using modern systems.
Back in 2010 when I arrived in the Cabinet Office the IT to be so bad that I almost threw it out the window. I insisted on having wi-fi installed and now it바카라 사이트檚 available throughout the department, so everyone can pick up their laptop and work flexibly.
I now have a shiny new iPhone rather than the Blackberry that I couldn바카라 사이트檛 even bear to look at.
What바카라 사이트檚 our mantra? Technology at work that바카라 사이트檚 at least as good as you use at home. Doesn바카라 사이트檛 sound that demanding when you put it like that. A long way to go, but progress, we바카라 사이트檝e shown we can do it. Better equipment, less cost 바카라 사이트� what바카라 사이트檚 not to like about that?
I바카라 사이트檓 not alone. I was told about one civil servant in my department who said upon getting her new laptop:
This is the first time I바카라 사이트檝e felt valued as a civil servant; for once they haven바카라 사이트榯 just given us crap, they바카라 사이트檝e given us something good.
Now I found that really heart-warming. That바카라 사이트檚 what it바카라 사이트檚 about technology that helps people do their jobs better and doesn바카라 사이트檛 get in the way.
But better technology must be matched by better skills. Twenty five years of continual outsourcing has meant we바카라 사이트檝e lost too much of our in-house capability, but we바카라 사이트檙e now beginning to reverse this decline.
Look at HMRC Digital Delivery Centre in Newcastle 바카라 사이트� making use of regional talent and developing services in-house. DVLA have a similar unit in Swansea. There are others too.
So GDS has created a ripple effect through the civil service.
It바카라 사이트檚 a glimpse of the kind of cultural transformation that needs to happen across the public sector.
Netflix
Now we바카라 사이트檙e at the British Film Institute, so I hope I바카라 사이트檒l be forgiven for ending by talking briefly about television. Some of you may have seen recently the new US version of House of Cards. My office gave the box set to me for Christmas. Something to learn about how politics should work바카라 사이트iveting.
Kevin Spacey tells a great story about how he and the other producers pitched the idea to the US networks. Traditional networks wanted to see a pilot episode first. But Spacey felt the story was too complex to encapsulate in a single episode.
Netflix was different. From their customer data they could tell that enough viewers would watch so they commissioned 2 entire series outright. What바카라 사이트檚 more, they released each complete series at once, giving the customer complete control over how and when they watch.
So they made data-driven decisions, with an element of risk, but more importantly they put the needs of their customers first and right at the heart of their decision-making process. As a result they completely disrupted the traditional model of commissioning.
I and some colleagues saw how Netflix works when I visited their headquarters in the US West Coast last year. The lack of top down management and bureaucracy was evident 바카라 사이트� people didn바카라 사이트檛 have to jump through hoops to get things done.
바카라 사이트ou sometimes hear civil servants saying that for every 1 person trying to do something, there are 4 trying to stop it바카라 사이트 see some nodding in the audience. I saw in Netflix how teams were empowered to make immediate changes. I asked them how many times they released new code 바카라 사이트� they said about a dozen times a week.
I asked them what process they go through for developing the code. The answer none. It바카라 사이트檚 all very modular. If they don바카라 사이트檛 work, they simply undo it and try again or move on to something better. No process, just constant restless desire to innovate, and iterate and improve.
It바카라 사이트檚 the culture of 바카라 사이트渕ove fast and break things바카라 사이트� 바카라 사이트� 바카라 사이트淔ail small, fail fast바카라 사이트�.
Never stop trying new things. If you don바카라 사이트檛 try new things that don바카라 사이트檛 work, you don바카라 사이트檛 try new things. Great organisations learn more from what you try that doesn바카라 사이트檛 work than you do from things that do work.
So that바카라 사이트檚 the culture we need. It바카라 사이트檚 the same culture in the 바카라 사이트 Digital Service.
It바카라 사이트檚 not the dress code that makes GDS different. Nor the prevalence of bunting or post-its or beards and all that바카라 사이트� it바카라 사이트檚 the culture of experimentation and innovation; of speed and agility; a culture that shapes the entire way we design and deliver public services.
So this isn바카라 사이트檛 the end; it바카라 사이트檚 only beginning. GDS must never been swallowed up by Whitehall, it should be the other way around. GDS is the catalyst for the change we need across the public sector.
Conclusion
So we can be proud I think to be at the forefront of digital government worldwide. We바카라 사이트檝e achieved a huge amount over the past 5 years: more savings, better services, new opportunities for business.
But the internet is growing and changing all the time: new challenges and opportunities, new technologies and solutions, new ideas and experiences.
So the work goes on.
To put people first, with services that are simpler, clearer, faster.
To do more, and better, for less. And we바카라 사이트檝e shown you can do it.
To build a truly 21st century digital government, capable of leading a world-beating digital economy.
Thank you.