Month: November 2024

A long week featuring lots of travel and the general chaos that surrounds it. Trying to fit as much into the week, and clear the backlog of tasks as best I can, before disappearing for a week of relaxation with Mrs G somewhere in the hills above southern Spain (I’m being vague because I don’t know where I’m actually going as I write this).

What I’ve been up to

1. All the way up to Newcastle last Monday evening, including a lovely 90 minute delay just outside Doncaster while broken points were fixed further up the line, in preparation for our quarterly in-person wider leadership on Tuesday. We don’t get together very often so it’s important that we make the most of it when we do. Top of many of the team’s mind is the next phase of the digital operating model part of the organisational blueprint programme. Helpfully Giles, the digital TOM programme director, was able to attend and lead some break out sessions to understand teams’ concerns and ideas. We also covered digital priorities and had two excellent show and tells – on our renewed risk management posture and how we delivered the S106 solution for the agency. A day really packed with value.
2. The next day was our six-weekly all staff call. This was also OB/ digital TOM dominated. Kirsty was able to give an update on the organisational blueprint programme and how it affects the digital team. Giles then talked about his emerging thoughts on the digital TOM and next steps.
3. We held our monthly portfolio assurance board. We’ve had a couple of extraordinary meetings recently to cover high priority requests so its was good to have a “normal” meeting. We continue to get into a good rhythm – both on the meetings themselves but also in maturing the agency’s approach to spend controls.
4. We’ve been reviewing our risk tolerance for our cyber risk and had a meeting to agree recommendation for our executive leadership board.
5. On top of this, lots of meetings that reduce actual work time. I’m trying my best to limit the number of meetings and the amount of times allocated to them. But it’s hard when it’s the main currency of decision making right now. I need to put some more focus on how to be more efficient with my meeting time.

What I’m doing next

1. Relaxing in Spain, hopefully.
2. See you all the week after next.

I am getting really out of the habit of writing these. It’s been three weeks since my last weeknote (this feels like a confession). The middle week of the three, half term, was a survival week as I was hit by the lurgy and metaphorically crawled through the five days of work whilst trying to recuperate with lots of cups of sweet tea and sleep. That though doesn’t justify not having written anything last week. But we are where we are.

Work continues to be busy. We’re now more than halfway through the third quarter of the year and I’m fast approaching my first anniversary at Homes England. There are no signs of things slowing down.

What I’ve been up to

1. The digital operating model programme director has now been appointed. He is Giles McCallum. He:s in week two of his role, getting his orientation and starting to form his plans for the detailed design phase of the op model work. We:ve already met a few times and I am looking forward to working with him and introducing him to the wider digital team (see below).

2. The digital leadership team have spent some time reviewing our various initiatives and commitments. We reflected that we had committed to do too much in conjunction with the various heads of and this was making it harder to move change forward. We have rationalised our backlog and committed to three distinct phases of activity, aligned with priorities identified in the early stage digital op model work. We are sharing this plan with managers across the digital team to ensure alignment across the directorate.

3. I got to visit the Churchill War Rooms for a roundtable dinner with other government digital and data leaders. The theme was “Schrodinger’s data” and was a lively debate about data sharing and exploitation opportunities for the public sector.

4. I got to attend Government Transformation Summit in Canada Water last week. An inspiring day of keynote speakers from around the world the world and roundtable discussions. I also got to catch up with some familiar faces from previous government jobs,

5. Our digital governance continues to mature. Shelley has joined us for three months on secondment from MHCLG to help us embed better processes and ways of working.

What I’m planning next

1. This Tuesday (tomorrow as I write this) is our quarterly wider leadership team meeting. Giles is coming to introduce himself and hear from the team about their understanding of the digital op model.

2. Wednesday is our six-weekly digital all staff meeting. Giles is also coming along to introduce himself to the wider team and give his emerging thoughts about his plans

3. I have a week off next week. A bit of winter sun and a chance to recharge the batteries. Cannot wait.