One-stop login! That’s what the recently launched Gov.UK Verify citizen digital identity service is supposed to be. Aimed at improving the user experience, it was developed using Agile methods and was launched by GDS on the gov.uk website earlier this year.

‘May you live in interesting times,’ this expression could be representative of the UK following the outcome of the EU referendum. It was made famous by Robert Kennedy in a speech in 1966 when he elaborated on it by saying, “Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history.

The smouldering remains of recent digital transformation programmes such as the DWP Universal Credit, Home Office E-Borders and CAP-D, the regional payments agency all have common points of failure. They suffered from a lack of strategic business vision, weak leadership, limited skilled resources,  the rise of a ‘no bad news’ culture  and focus on technology rather than on citizen experience.