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Thoughts from the mind of Ben Welby

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Historic Royal Palaces membership: A cautionary tale from our family’s visit

August 14, 2024 / / 1 Comment

We recently joined some friends for a day at the Historic Royal Palace of Hampton Court, a place we hadn’t visited since 2018. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision but although we didn’t plan our day we did check the website. And the website encouraged us to pre-book our tickets in advance. So we did.

The kids were buzzing with excitement, the weather was perfect, and we were looking forward to our day in the splendour of the palace and its gardens. And the day lived up to our expectations, filled with exploration, fun, and a lot of history.

A wide view of the main entrance to Hampton Court Palace, a Tudor-era structure, set on expansive grounds. The building features a mix of stone and brick architecture with many towers and ornate facades. The foreground shows a grassy area shaded by a large tree, with sunlight casting dappled shadows on the ground. In the background, the castle’s massive walls stretch out, with a clear blue sky above dotted with a few fluffy clouds. The setting appears calm and serene, suitable for sightseeing or exploration.
The image captures a picturesque garden scene under a clear blue sky. In the foreground, a vibrant cluster of white roses blooms surrounded by lush green foliage. The garden is neatly arranged, showcasing various plants, including a border of neatly trimmed hedges that adds to the serene aesthetic. In the background, there is a hill dotted with trees, and an old stone wall can be seen, suggesting the remnants of a historical structure. The overall atmosphere is tranquil and inviting, reflecting a well-maintained public or private garden space.
A detailed view of a grand ceiling fresco depicting various celestial figures, including angels and mythical creatures, in an ornate Baroque style. The fresco features vivid colors and intricate details, with gold accents framing the artwork. The walls below are richly decorated with sculptural reliefs and classical columns, creating a sense of depth and opulence. Soft light illuminates the scene, enhancing the ethereal quality of the painting. The setting is within Hampton Court Palace.
The lush green Fountain Court at Hampton Court Palace featuring a circular flower bed with colourful plants at the centre, surrounded by a well-maintained lawn. In the middle of the flower bed, there is a small fountain spraying water. The courtyard is framed by a stately building with an intricate façade characterised by red bricks and large windows, positioned symmetrically around the perimeter. A stone lantern stands on a pedestal to the right, adding a historical element to the scene. The sky above is bright blue with a few fluffy white clouds, indicating a sunny day.
A wide, gravel pathway stretches into the distance under a clear blue sky. On either side of the pathway, meticulously trimmed bushes and trees create a serene, garden-like atmosphere. To the right, a vibrant arrangement of flowers adds pops of color to the landscape. At the end of the pathway, a grand building is visible through the trees, suggesting it could be part of the grounds of this historical estate at Hampton Court Palace. The scene conveys a peaceful, leisurely vibe typical of an expansive park or estate.

So as we were preparing to leave, the option to upgrade our tickets to an annual membership was a no-brainer. Not only would this make it possible to come back to Hampton Court over the next twelve months, including for the upcoming food festival (which was the reason we had come six years ago) but it covers the Tower of London, which we’d also had a half-formed plan to visit.

We were excited to think that for just a little bit extra on top of what we’d already paid, we could unlock a year of unlimited visits. However, this excitement quickly faded when we discovered the fine print of the upgrade policy—a detail that unfairly targets families.

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I used ChatGPT to improve the speed and accessibility of my WordPress blog

July 29, 2024 / / 3 Comments

Adding ALT text is a good habit to develop. I can’t say it has become second nature but I do try. And I have definitely found it to be a great use for ChatGPT.

Since ChatGPT got vision capability it’s a very simple thing to paste an image and ask for ALT text. It’s usually very good. Although I was shaken when it casually described me as middle aged in this image. I suppose it’s accurate now I’m 40 but it was brutal to see that text appear on the screen.

Yes, it is an important habit to develop and an important principle to prioritise. However, I think it should also be something where AI can solve a real life problem in a very practical way. It feels like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp et al should fold in this functionality and automatically add ALT text whenever you upload a new image.

Be the change you want to see

So with that thought in mind I was very aware that I recently published a series of blog posts consisting of 140 images of slides detailing how to build a data driven public sector, the majority of which did not include ALT text1.

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We need more participation in policymaking, we certainly don’t need less

July 25, 2024 / / 6 Comments

I started writing a comment in response to today’s essay by James O’Malley but it quickly became outsized so I’ve turned it into a blog post instead.

The source for that essay is a new whitepaper from Demos that offers up a roadmap for embedding greater public participation in national policy making. James isn’t a great fan of it and in making the URL for his essay “James vs Demos” he’s clearly writing from a place of provocation. But he’s not alone. It also drew the ire of several commentators on Twitter. What’s strange is that I think in different times all of them would have probably been at the vanguard of enthusiasm for greater openness and engagement from government, not less.

But I can sympathise with their point of view. Some of that is concern that such efforts simply create an open buffet for cranks and extremists to push their agendas because they’re the ones who show up. But overall I sense a tired frustration that the country is just really bad at delivering the things we need. And that the feeling is that the sclerosis in this aspect of modern Britain comes from inviting external voices into the process which delay and obfuscate from what needs to be done because they hold too much sway.

A good example of that could be that some of the ballooning costs of HS2 that ultimately led to its cancellation for the country as a whole coming from efforts to satisfy the concerns of certain local communities and residents. While on the flip side to that, the new government has rapidly pressed ahead with a number of energy initiatives with national (if not international) outcomes in mind that had been being held up by local objections.

But focusing on these issues is to absolve those who govern for their deficiency in leadership. We can say that in either case it’s been a face off between individuals and communities (bad) and government decisiveness (good). But that’s such a bad place for us to end up when it comes to thinking about the sort of society we want to live in and the sort of public discourse we want to engage with.

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Building a data-driven public sector Part 3: Unlocking the value of data without losing public trust

July 19, 2024 / / 4 Comments
This entry is part 4 of 4 in the series Building a data driven public sector (DDPS)

On 16th May 2024 I led a 90 minute session as part of the Digital Academy Masterclass, hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan’s Innovation and Digital Development Agency, and delivered by Digital Nation.

I’ve broken the presentation into 4 parts. After the introduction, Part 1 considered the potential of data to deliver public value; Part 2 looked at the elements needed to actually build a data-driven public sector; and this, Part 3, explored how to unlock the value of data without losing public trust.

Unless otherwise indicated or an obvious screenshot, the images were generated by ChatGPT.

Now we’re onto the third and final part of this morning’s session. We’ve thought about where value can come from in terms of what you do with data. We’ve thought about the role you all play in helping to create the conditions for data to be used. But now we will finish with thinking about how our use of data builds and preserves trust.

Trust is such a valuable commodity. But it can be lost so quickly and take so long to repair.

Trust between citizens and their government is the basis on which the legitimacy of public institutions is built. Without trust, some policies lose their meaning and some services cease to be used. Unfortunately, trust is deteriorating in many countries.

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Building a data-driven public sector Part 2: How to do it

July 19, 2024 / / 2 Comments
This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Building a data driven public sector (DDPS)

On 16th May 2024 I led a 90 minute session as part of the Digital Academy Masterclass, hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan’s Innovation and Digital Development Agency, and delivered by Digital Nation.

I’ve broken the presentation into 4 parts. After the introduction, Part 1 considered the potential of data to deliver public value; this is Part 2 and looked at the elements needed to actually build a data-driven public sector; and Part 3 explored how to unlock the value of data without losing public trust.

Unless otherwise indicated or an obvious screenshot, the images were generated by ChatGPT.

David McCandless, of Information is Beautiful, suggested that instead of thinking about data like oil, we should rather think of it like soil. Data is a fertile environment from which good things might happen. 

But just like soil, it is something you have to nurture and care for if you want it to give you a good return.

And this is where we start our second section – if we’re in roles with responsibility for building a data-driven public sector then we need to think about our job in terms of farming. We need to be mindful that when it comes to data our job is to make good soil and nurture data-driven ways of working.

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Building a data-driven public sector Introduction

July 19, 2024 / / 1 Comment
This entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Building a data driven public sector (DDPS)

On 16th May 2024 I led a 90 minute session as part of the Digital Academy Masterclass, hosted by the Government of Azerbaijan’s Innovation and Digital Development Agency, and delivered by Digital Nation.

I’ve broken the presentation into 4 parts. This is the introduction, Part 1 considered the potential of data to deliver public value; Part 2 looked at the elements needed to actually build a data-driven public sector; and Part 3 explored how to unlock the value of data without losing public trust.

Unless otherwise indicated or an obvious screenshot, the images were generated by ChatGPT.

My name’s Ben Welby and I’ve spent 15 years working in and around digital transformation starting off in local government, then helping to build and launch GOV.UK, and most recently at the OECD.

Today we’re going to be looking at the three aspects of building a data-driven public sector:

Can Labour unlock the value of the OECD?

July 11, 2024 / / 3 Comments

Rachel Reeves has been quick to tell us that UK public finances are in their worst state since World War Two. As she pores over the bank statements to identify a subscription or two to cancel she might pause at the £900,0001 we send each month to the OECD and ask what are we getting for that money.2

I hope she and the Cabinet get a handle on that a bit more quickly than their predecessors. In the summer of 2023 the UK Foreign Secretary was in Paris, chairing the OECD’s annual meeting of ministers. He gave a speech that basically said “Before this week I didn’t appreciate the breadth and value of the OECD”. Arguably, he was just praising the organisation with niceties but then again, the ministerial musical chairs of the last decade means it’s not wholly surprising if the value and scope of the OECD got a bit lost.

It’s easily done.

OECD data does crop up from time to time but neither UK politicians or UK media seem to pay too much attention to its work. Just this week the OECD published the latest edition of its Trust Survey. In Ireland there was a ministerial press release and some press coverage but in the UK, nothing. And yet there’s a huge amount to unpack from what it says (and what it doesn’t) including the headline that only 2 of the surveyed countries have lower levels of trust in national government than the UK3.

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Five things I think about GDS, CDDO and i.AI moving into DSIT

July 10, 2024 / / 5 Comments

If those acronyms mean nothing to you then this blog post is not for you. It’s written in response to the news that the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), and the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI) are moving from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) under the responsibility of Peter Kyle as the responsible minister.

At the OECD one of the things we would emphasise was the importance of a mandate and authority for providing leadership of digital government across the entire public sector. GDS was the poster child for this idea. Many countries have established their own Digital Government Units similarly located at the centre of government and operating in proximity to the country’s political leadership. In more than one country the digital function has been given even more prominence and made an extension of the President or the Prime Minister. This has been critical in ensuring that the agenda receives support at the highest levels and made a priority.

In the UK, GDS benefitted from Francis Maude as the Minister for Cabinet Office (MCO) with his leadership backing the wave of transformation through to 2015. Under his watch many of the things that established the culture for digital transformation bedded in. And then in 2015 there started a sequence of 12 MCOs in 9 years. Not many of them showed the same aptitude for leading digital transformation as Maude.

Along the way the clarity of responsibility for digital started to fray. Digital inclusion, some aspects of data, some parts of Artificial Intelligence, and some parts of digital identity moving over to what is now DSIT.

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