Central Government Strategy Forum

Last week the Central Gov Strategy Forum brought together Chief Information Officers, Directors of Transformation, and Directors of Digital from leading government organisations. The forum hosted keynote speakers and the sector's most disruptive solution providers to collaborate in an intimate environment. Here we delve into the findings and the 5 main investment priorities from over the 3 days of the forum. The Central Gov Strategy Forum returns next December, for more information please visit: https://lnkd.in/dYEweck   Can’t wait until then? Our Women in Public Sector IT Strategy Forum returns on the 24th of February 2025 which welcomes over 120 leaders from diverse IT roles across the public sector. Visit: https://lnkd.in/dYEweck #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #Networking

What an Incredible Three Days! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us this week at the Central Gov Strategy Forum and contributed to its success! 🌟 Special Thanks to Our Chair DAVID POPE, thank you for your outstanding leadership in ensuring the smooth flow of our speaker presentations over three impactful days. Your dedication truly shone through! Hear David's key takeaways from the forum below, as he reminds us, “It’s certainly worth attending!” 🎤 To Our Speaker Faculty We’re incredibly grateful for the time and effort you put into your insightful presentations and sessions. You’ve inspired meaningful conversations and ideas for the future of central government. 🤝 To Our Delegates Your enthusiasm and engagement created a vibrant networking environment, fostering connections and shared learning among peers. 💡 To Our Solution Providers Thank you for sponsoring the Strategy Forum and helping us deliver three days of thought-provoking discussions. Your support was integral to the event’s success. 🌟 To Our Celebrity Speaker Sally Gunnell OBE, your inspirational talk at Strategy Night Live reminded us all of the power of perseverance and breaking barriers. We hope you left the forum feeling inspired, equipped with valuable insights, and ready to make an impact. We can’t wait to welcome you back to future forums! For more details about the Central Gov Strategy Forum and how you can get involved, visit: https://lnkd.in/gXNfT7DH. #CentralGovSF #ThankYou #CentralGovernment #Leadership #Networking Jonathan Roberts Christopher Murtagh Craig Taylor Caroline Rich Patrick Haston Justin Placide - Co-Chair of The Civil Service Race Forum Nic Granger Alex Jones Janice Gosling Puja Myles Zainab Z. Yorath Turner Chartered FCIPD Emma Day Lorraine Dick Hannah Finselbach Mark Burlinson Lee Cramp

The Central Gov Strategy Forum comes to an end with our closing keynote presentation from Caroline Rich, Deputy Director Customer Experience Unit for Intellectual Property Office UK. Caroline discusses the future of customer experience in government and how to find the right balance between technology and human interaction. As AI becomes central to government services, it enhances efficiency and improves citizen interactions. By applying CX insights from the private sector, agencies can better meet and exceed expectations. Caroline explores how techniques like speech and sentiment analysis help understand citizen needs and emotions, showcasing how this drives future-focused strategies, benchmarking, and continuous improvement in managing complex change. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #AI #CustomerExperience

Targeted Safety Through Automation In today’s complex landscape, effective risk assessment is crucial for ensuring that resources are allocated where they are most needed. By accurately identifying and prioritising risks, we can prevent harm, protect children, and raise standards across the board. Alex Jones, Director, Insights and Research for Ofsted, explores how automation can streamline repetitive tasks, enabling inspectors to focus on high-value activities. He also discusses how leveraging text-based data can uncover valuable insights and enhance consistency across operations. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #RiskManagement #Automation

The adoption of AI is crucial for departments aiming to stay competitive in an increasingly digital world. By leveraging this technology, companies can enhance efficiency and drive innovation, positioning themselves for long-term success. DAVID POPE, Chief Data Officer and Deputy SIRO for Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) explores the integration of AI on a large scale from several key perspectives: governance, people, awareness, and technical implementation. David provides insights on leading this transformation, and offers guidance on how existing service delivery models will need to evolve to accommodate fast-paced change. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #AI

The Shared Services Strategy for Government is a major initiative to transform the UK Civil Service by consolidating ERP systems into five shared service centers. This will streamline operations across 18 departments, 200 bodies, and impact over 500,000 civil servants, making it one of the largest government projects to date. Christopher Murtagh, Chief Technology Officer and ERP Programme Director for Synergy, HM Government and Patrick Haston, Head of Cloud Transformation for the Cabinet Office, outline the key considerations and strategies for successfully navigating this transformation, emphasising the critical role that shared services will play in the future of government operations. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #SharedServices

Net Zero - The Journey to a Greener and Richer Future Tackling climate change is vital for protecting our planet, and central government departments must play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through policies, regulations, and large-scale initiatives. In recent years, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have increased their focus on renewable energy, sustainable transport, and energy efficiency, to highlight the importance of corporate responsibility in driving these efforts forward. Justin Placide - Co-Chair of The Civil Service Race Forum, Head of Net Zero Goverance, Ministerial Briefing and Fiscal Events outlines the critical steps and strategies required for achieving a net-zero future, emphasising technological innovation, private investment, and policy development. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #NetZero

Day one of the Central Gov Strategy Forum nears and end with our keynote presentation from Jonathan Roberts, Director and Chief Data Officer at Ministry of Justice UK. Advanced analytics enables data-driven decisions and accelerates departmental impact, but unlocking its full value requires practical steps and focused implementation. This session highlights how the Ministry of Justice leverages tools like Splink to lead in this space. Jonathan discusses pragmatic approaches to technologies like Generative AI and strategies for responsible implementation. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #DataAnalytics #AI

Addressing Data Discrepancies - A Phased Approach At the Office for National Statistics (ONS), their R&D statistics have recently come under scrutiny due to significant discrepancies with alternative data sources, which led to confusion among key stakeholders, and prompted a push for higher-quality, granular data to meet evolving policies and user-needs. Through a phased approach, ONS conducted a substantial engagement exercise to ensure that both external and internal stakeholders were effectively included throughout the process. Craig Taylor, Deputy Director for Business Statistics Transformation and Hannah Finselbach, Interim Deputy Director for ONS explore the challenges of balancing responsiveness with sustainable development while aligning with strategic goals. They also share how these insights are being applied to other large-scale change initiatives. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #Data

We now hear from Zainab Z. Head of Operating Model and Propositions for the UK Ministry of Defence, as she discusses how she spearheaded the department’s development of the first data analytics and AI strategy. This groundbreaking initiative enhanced predicative capabilities and marked a significant shift in how the department approaches complex challenges. In this session, Zainab shares her vision for transforming the department into a fully predictive operation, where advanced technological tools are not only used to anticipate potential barriers, but also to proactively address them before they can impact progress. #CentralGovSF #CentralGovernment #AI #PredictiveAnalytics