GDS Outlines Plans For Government As A Platform

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has explained how it is preparing for the arrival of "Government as a Platform" or "GaaP."  

According to Felicity Singleton, GDS deputy director, the organisation is currently laying the groundwork for GaaP in order to ensure it knows exactly what is needed, where and to what extent.  

The work, she says, is divided into four streams: Common Technology Services, Platforms and Standards, Agency Transformation and Department Transformation.  

GDS has been working with government Departments to understand how civil servants can be given access to technology that makes their jobs easier in a way that is much more affordable than in the past. 

It has also turned its attentions to the Agencies, to work out how they can use digital technologies to reduce duplicated efforts and build better services, as well as focusing on how the structure of government can be made more "invisible" to users.  

Singleton claims that platforms and standards form the bedrock for GaaP and GDS is working on prototype platforms and registers which have the potential to be reused across government.  

Within each work stream are several project teams working on different prototypes. 

"Show Don't Tell" 

"We have a rule here, which you've probably heard us mention before: show the thing. It means show your work. Don't just talk about new services, show them to people with screenshots or demos or alphas," claimed Singleton.  

She added that the coming weeks will see more blog postings on the GDS blog demonstrating the work the team has been doing on bringing GaaP to life.  

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