work – Mark O'Neill

All the numbers account for years

The power of paws, no sooner do I write about the lack of any national conversation about digital when we get the modestly titled “A New National Purpose” from the odd Marvel/DC team up of Tony Blair and William Hague. Martha Lane Fox has set out very well the Groundhog Day feelings of those ofContinue reading “All the numbers account for years”

As patterns seem to form

The opinion polls indicate that the next UK General Election will bring a new government. The last time we were here was back in 2008/9 when one of the hot topics was “Digital”. Shadow Ministers spoke at events about the critical importance of digital, policy papers were published by think tanks and I, a memberContinue reading “As patterns seem to form”

Low Cool

Computers started large and expensive so the business problems they were tasked with solving were similarly large and expensive. But most business problems and processes are small and not “worth” investing large amounts of time and money in. These problems are also usually out of management’s sight because they affect workers who are spoken atContinue reading “Low Cool”

Policymanship

Readers of the late great Stephen Potter’s works on Lifemanship and Gamesmanship may wonder if the same techniques can be applied in government. The answer is “Of course!” Here are a couple of examples of Policymanship in action. “Cutting grant fraud” Ministers are very keen to launch a big new business grants programme which willContinue reading “Policymanship”

Efficiency

In my last blog post I said that whilst greater efficiency may reduce the number of staff needed it does not work if you try to do it the other way round, that is cutting staff numbers and expecting greater efficiency. But assertions are not evidence so let’s show the consequences of cutting staff withoutContinue reading “Efficiency”

Carousel

I have said many times that working for any large organisation, public or private sector, is like being on a merry-go-round. There is a constant sense of motion but for some reason the same sights keep coming round again and again. And here we are again with Francis Maude being commissioned to look at CivilContinue reading “Carousel”

Silence. Logic. Security. Prudence.

Gales, hail, and torrential rain. Spring is definitely here and so a young person’s thoughts inevitably turn to digital government. This week has brought the launch of the new GDS three year strategy, wise thoughts on service design, and a range of questions on Twitter about where we have got to some 10 years onContinue reading “Silence. Logic. Security. Prudence.”

NDA #3 – Minded

I have written before about 2 of the programmes I have worked on where the NDAs I signed have expired. This one is different. For a start, there are no bears involved but, more importantly, the status of that NDA is unknown for reasons which will become apparent. For reasons which escape me, humanity hasContinue reading “NDA #3 – Minded”