public policy, technology and society – democracy in an age of change

The intersection of public policy, technology and society is complex. And yes, that’s something of an understatement. A mix of politics, law, design, architecture, usability,

payday loans and the missed opportunity?

In our book Digitizing Government: understanding and implementing new digital business models, there’s a table illustrating how often grand announcements have been made around the

The wellsprings of UK digital reform part 2 – separating porcine lip enhancement from transformation

Previously This is the second episode of a mini-series of blogs looking at the origins of the UK government’s digital reform programme since 2010. Part

The wellsprings of UK digital reform part 1 – the backstory

While there are some great pockets of work taking place to deliver better public services, the UK government’s overall attempts at technology-enabled, or “e-government” or

“Artificial Intelligence” and the House of Lords inquiry

Below is a copy of my submission to the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence. Intentionally absent are more sensitive aspects of AI

towards a “future society” book

“Technology is neither good nor bad; nor is it neutral” – Melvin Kranzberg (1917-1995) A generation ago it was possible to work in an occupation

NAO on ‘Digital Transformation in Government’

Yesterday saw the release of the National Audit Office’s report on ‘Digital Transformation in Government‘. The main conclusion from Amyas Morse, head of the NAO,

the recurrent fear of technology

The impact of modern technologies – or more often, the fear of the impact of technologies – on our world is nothing new. Consider this, written

“Dear Sir – about this data sharing …”

Twenty-six UK businesses, academics, professional bodies and civil society leaders have today published a letter in the Daily Telegraph expressing concerns about the current state

Uber, platforms and regulation

The employment tribunal ruling that Uber drivers have won the right to be classed as workers rather than self-employed is not particularly surprising when viewed from

Trust in an algorithmic world

We have long since entered a world increasingly reliant upon software – from the software in our mobile phones, to online websites, to fly-by-wire aviation

CIO updates

A quick recap of some of my recent CIO columns. Making a success of digital government (October 2016) Part 5 of the Digital Economy Bill, currently making