State of the Future

The policy profession in the civil service will need a new leader, as Susan Acland-Hood is leaving government www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/... They should take a look at the report from @policycamp.bsky.social medium.com/state-of-the...

Sign up for the next 2 #databites on 11 November and 2 December: www.thinkdigitalpartners.com/data-bites/

A huge thank you to our brilliant speakers, great audience, Sopra Steria & our friends @thinkdigitalptns.bsky.social for a triumphant return to #databites last night Catch up on: trustworthy data at HMRC... archiving digital files... general election data... & what lorry-driving tells us about AI

Tune in at 5.30pm for the 61st edition of #databites, the first from @sotf.org.uk & @thinkdigitalptns.bsky.social! - HMRC on trustworthy data and AI - National Archives on preservation registries - Commons Library on election data - Sopra Steria on spotting red lights

Our associate, @aliceolilly.bsky.social, on something that's not yet had a look in around the National Commission on Electoral Reform - sign up to her new newsletter! (Features a new voting system we would strongly endorse, too)

And I published my (very late) 2025 year note medium.com/@gavin-freeg... And we welcomed @aliceolilly.bsky.social as an associate 🥳

Genuinely don't know when @gavinfreeguard.com gets to sleep. medium.com/state-of-the...

And for the final time this conference season... now with added SNP listings 👇

I think this is what you call a bumper update... Our second newsletter, featuring: - #DataBites @thinkdigitalptns.bsky.social - Devolution, digital, data - Dismantling DSIT And some things not beginning with 'D': @policycamp.bsky.social, voter registration, civil service reform & much, much more

NEW REPORT: Policy Camp 2026 — a summary of the day What do policymakers think we should discuss to make policy better? A summary of July's inspiring & insightful @policycamp.bsky.social, with session notes, keynote transcripts and what people took away from the day medium.com/state-of-the...

⌛ #DATABITES IS BACK - NEXT WEEK! ⌛ Join us for the 61st event - the first from @sotf.org.uk and @thinkdigitalptns.bsky.social - where we'll hear from speakers including the House of Commons Library, HMRC and The National Archives thinkdigitalpartner.zohobackstage.eu/DataBitesOct...

Exclusive: the government doesn’t want you to know who’s advising it on civil service reform medium.com/state-of-the...

Very interested to hear from anyone with any insights into the government’s approach towards AVR and data, or ideas for ‘retrospectives’ - previous government data projects that might have faced similar challenges

NEW PROJECT: Automatic Voter Registration — how can data deliver it? A huge thank you to the UK Democracy Fund for funding us to look into this - an important piece of the electoral reform puzzle which also illustrates beneficial government use of data, data/devo, and anticipatory government

Some weekend reading for you: Meet the Menders: Our social fabric is frayed, so who’s fixing it? Summary by @jamestplunkett.bsky.social endstate.substack.com/p/meet-the-m... Full @kinship.works report supported by @jrf-uk.bsky.social menders.kinship.works

Very excited that #DataBites is back after a short hiatus with @sotf.org.uk & the team @thinkdigitalptns.bsky.social! Some exciting speakers already lined up - but get in touch if you're public sector & would like to speak/know someone who should, or you're private sector & would like to sponsor

Exciting things afoot at @sotf.org.uk- check back soon...

whatever

Heading to Labour Party conference? Interested in data, digital, tech, AI, public sector reform etc? I've tried pulling together the most relevant events (80 of them!) as a public service from @sotf.org.uk - please add any I've missed! Includes other parties too docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

There are lots of big (& good!) ideas on 'rewiring the state' - but we can't assume the tech underpinning it will just work & we need to bring the public in A digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate - and democratic Delighted to write for @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @jenitennison.com

My annual round-up of data/digital/AI/public sector reform etc events at party conferences, now with some added details for @smfthinktank.bsky.social @defenddigitalme.bsky.social and others Please add anything else I've missed!

It's party conference season, which brings many inevitabilities... Warm white wine! Beige buffets! and... My (well, @sotf.org.uk's) spreadsheet of data/AI/digital/public sector reform-related events - there'll be lots I've missed so please add! docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Obviously completely fair to want to take questions direct from the public as well as from the Commons, but always amuses me a bit how often people who are part of PMQs- ie the PM and (some) MPs- denigrate PMQs as though it’s a thing they have absolutely no control over

Something I'm pondering as I'm developing project proposals for @sotf.org.uk is: What resources are there on designing good research projects - research design, interview approaches, comms and influencing, etc? What do you use? What would you recommend? Especially for think tank research?

Delighted to be on the programme committee for this excellent project - get involved!

Absolutely delighted to welcome the brilliant @aliceolilly.bsky.social to the team! 🥳

It may be August but 3 interesting/important stories from @civilserviceworld.bsky.social today: On machinery of govt - PM appoints 'expert adviser on structure & process' www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/... On AI - DG appointed to lead AI Taskforce www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/...

A good time to be launching a think tank thinking about the state of the future, eh? Sign up to our newsletter via sotf.org.uk And yesterday's post on the Burnham government still feels relevant (and hasn't aged too badly, thankfully) medium.com/state-of-the...

Crikey www.gov.uk/government/p...

I have blogged! The State of the Present: Andy Burnham’s new government or - Why the abolition of DSIT is baffling and bad - Why I'm worried about what it means for civil service reform - Some opportunities for the new government around data, digital, open government medium.com/state-of-the...