The Department for Education in the UK sought to transform its outdated technology systems and processes. It started in 2014 with dysfunctional technology, low team morale, and a need to modernize. Over the next two years, through establishing true partnerships with experts, focusing on re-skilling staff, and creating a strong brand and belief in the transformation, it upgraded its entire technology stack. This included moving systems to the cloud to gain mobility. Lessons included establishing partnerships takes time and being willing to change course. By 2016 it had transitioned from a trailing to leading edge in technology.

1. From Trailing Edge to
Leading Edge
DELIVERING LASTING TECHNOLOGY CHANGE FOR A
WHTEHALL DEPARTMENT AT PACE

2. • The Department for Education is responsible for children’s services
and education, including higher and further education policy,
apprenticeships and wider skills in England.
• 457,o0oTeachers, 8.56 million pupils in schools
• £60.1 billion state budget distribution (increasing directly to schools)
• 4th largest consolidator of accounts in the world
• Leading edge technology!
The Department

3. What we knew when we started?
• We needed to engage the permanent team “change
from within”
• We knew we didn’t have the skills we needed
• We knew a traditional supplier/customer relationship
would not work
• We knew significant board engagement was required
• We knew we would have significantly re-skill in parallel

4. The journey of transformation
• Dysfunctional
technology
• LowTeam Morale
• Low Output
Oct 2014
• Strong IT Brand
• Re-launch
• Ambitious Plan
• Creation of Belief
2015 • Year of “heavy lifting”
• EntireTechnology
stack in upgrade
• Re-skilling
2016

5. Clear Business Case
• London Office move displacing a physical data centre
• Ageing technology and lack of mobility
• The need to be able to better connect to the Education
sector
• Every £ spent on IT, is a £ not spent on schools

6. Establishing a true partnership
with experts and suppliers
 Ending the blame game
 Driving value add
 Co-locating resource
Working the problem together
 Acknowledging we were not
going to be the experts

7. Power of a brand
 Radical in Government
 Kite Mark of Delivery
 ClearVision and Delivery
Vehicle to deliver comms
 Sense of identity

8. The Importance of Belief
 Drives Pace
 Creates Confidence
 Overturns the past
 Drives enthusiasm
 Reduce sceptism

9. Edge -2015LeadingTrailing

10. Lessons Learnt
• That establishing true partneships is difficult
• Being comfortable to change mind or direction
• The impact of concurrent multiple workstreams on key people
• Staying brave!
• We could have gone even quicker!

11. Changed World:
Mobility

12. From
Modernisation
to Optimisation
• Ensure total decommission –
risks to Business Case
• Maxmising potential
• Exploitation of technology
• Ensuring Cloud Control

13. Thank you!
Questions?
adrian.tucker@education.gov.uk