There’s something about digital service delivery fundamentalism abstracted from policy and politics (pah, policy wonks! mindset) that is leading to some real top down paternalism. Even in / especially by small government bits of govt that is really surprising.

Just because you can build something, just because you want to help through direct control, just because you are able to design a service to seemingly solve a problem, doesn’t mean you always should.

Policy and operating models are political acts. They should be thought through, deliberate, sensitive to political context and ideology and therefore best able to meet needs. Digital needs to do a better job of understanding, shaping and working with the wider system of govt.

Should government be delivering that service or is it better to build it with and for others? What level of government is best suited you design and orchestrate a solution to that need? Questions that are sorely lacking often right now especially in response to coronavirus.

So much has changed but at the same time very little. Spinning up a digital service to be seen to be acting is not the same as ensuring it supports user needs in the best way possible at the right level of government and with the right partners in the room.