One thing sure about Brexit is that it is edging closer. What remains uncertain is the type of Brexit that will shape the U.K. over the next few decades. The Brexit possibilities range from a hard ‘no deal Brexit’, with essentially no ties to former European partners, to a soft Brexit where trading structures remain in place, or to some half-way model which Theresa May has twice attempted to get through the British parliament without success.
The U.K. government, over the past five years, have embarked on a series of digital transformation initiates. Some of these have been successful, enabling easier access to government services via web portals (notably enabling citizens to access most government services through a single website – GOV.UK); others have been less successful. A recent government report showed 60 percent of digital projects on ‘amber’ (in danger of not meeting targets).
Despite these fluctuations, what is apparent is the progress that has been made to date with digital transformation and the necessity of the government, like most businesses, in digitizing its services. This trajectory may well be impacted by Brexit, according to the recent conference hosted by Public Technology and Gamma.
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Some participants at the event believe that Brexit has sped up digital transformation due to the necessity to disentangle certain government systems from the European Union, which is seen to be helping to drive innovation, and also through the process leading to more openness between government departments.
However, the a large number of speakers reflected on the uncertainty that Brexit was causing, leading to a number of digital transformation projects to tall due to the lack of clarity of what a post-Brexit administration for the U.K. will actually look like. This is especially so with procurement processes and supply chains, resulting from the lack of strategy and direction.
