Department brings teams together into new Digital, Data and Technology unit under Sarah Wilkinson
The Home Office has brought together its two major IT teams into a single unit, in a move that it said will encourage more comprehensive design of services and data integration.
Home Office Digital and Home Office Technology have been combined into the new Home Office, Digital, Data and Technology (HO DDT) unit under Sarah Wilkinson. Formerly the chief technology officer, she has taken on the new job title of chief digital, data and technology officer.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The Home Office’s mission is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. We are transforming the way we work to respond to changing threats and provide better services.
“Home Office Digital and Home Office Technology have delivered important work in the past few years – including online passport renewal and the rolling out biometric residence permits and biometric travel documents.
“The two teams already work incredibly closely. By formally bringing them together we create an even stronger unit. It will bring an injection of new skills and approaches to both functions, will allow a front-to-back digital design approach and enable us to integrate data more fully into everything we do.”
Norman Driskell, who was previously chief digital officer, has moved on from the department.
Industry approval
The move has won the approval of IT industry association techUK, whose director public services, Naureen Khan, said: “Tech is critical to the Home Office’s transformation journey. Government is making good progress on its goal to attract private sector leaders like Sarah to drive transformation.
“We welcome this move which should lead to a more integrated approach and offer a huge opportunity to better harness data. Sarah has actively engaged with industry and we look forward to continuing to work with her in her new role."
Image: Home Office building, Marsham Street, by Kevin Gordon, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia
