No.10 Fellow notes — month one

I am sat parked in the car while my son sleeps. So a few thoughts after 1 month in government.

-- People
I've been truly impressed with the people. My team at the DfE are as smart as any group I've worked in. Passionate. Collaborative. Challenging. Ambitious. Fun. I feel very lucky to have them as colleagues.

-- All the clichés are true
Yep. Government is messy and confusing. Nobody would design an organisation like this! The most striking thing has been the need for 'soft power'. Reporting lines seem to matter less than personal networks. It's not how I like to work - but it's the way it is.

-- The model
The government model for funding and running policies is a terrible fit for funding and running software. Lots of people have pointed this out. Do a Google search for "products not projects". But can the funding model actually change?

-- Looking inwards
Conversations feel very inwards facing. I am used to the commercial context where the user/buyer really is the king. But in government the buyer is the Treasury, and the most important 'user' is often also internal. I've written before about the importance of looking outwards.

I'm really thinking about how the needs of schools and colleges could be brought closer to the Department. Those front lines feel too far away.

-- The Trojan horse
In this context (great people in an organisation out of sync with their function) the plan often seems to be using agile/internet-era approaches as a kind of Trojan horse. If we can deliver something small and great, *despite* the system, then we can build consensus, beat the sceptics, and expand.

I really struggle with this for two reasons.

Firstly, it just feels unhealthy. Trojan horses belong in wars, not org charts.

Secondly, it is slow. The need and opportunity for better digital services is huge and urgent. Iterating MVP by MVP to gradually nudge the machine... I don't know... It just feels like years will pass, and others will continue to race ahead.


-- Conclusion
It has been a brilliant first month. I see
huge challenges and huge potential, and feel very lucky to have this opportunity to learn and influence.

We've been told many times that working in government can be deeply frustrating and deeply rewarding. That feels about right.