The joy of unbundling
I’ve been thinking about how the tech we use would benefit from unbundling the back end from the front end (most definitely inspired by this Futuregov post on headless CMS and this weeknote on the same topic by Imogen Levy).
At the moment things like the database, the application and the business logic are all inextricably baked in together, making the sum more fragile in terms of change.
What about a ‘headless’ housing management system? This would enable the backend to be largely standardised (and provided as a service) whilst the front end (or head) remains more flexible to accomodate a variety of needs. Providing a platform for others (who know what good design for user needs looks like) to build on top of makes an awful lot of sense and would boost innovation in this space. I’m sure this is not an original idea with regards to housing management systems, but it makes a frightening amount of sense!
Make it easy to do the right thing
This is one of our mantras at the moment. I reference it frequently. I wonder whether what this is really articulating is the importance of design AND technology?
Digital is…
I went to two events this week referencing digital. The debate still rages about whether we need to say things are digital when really it should now be integral to everything we do.
Trust and collaboration continue to be two recurring themes. I’m convinced vulnerability is the foundational thing for both. Can you be open about not having the answer? Are you willing to share what you got wrong and what you’ve learned? Are you prepared to be more creative about problem solving?
Leadership popped up again too. It sometimes seems we’re waiting for someone (often senior) to swoop in and make things better. That obviously helps enable things, but those leaders also have to come from somewhere, and that’s why (IMHO) we need to encourage people to lead the way and help others at all levels. Not so quick or swoopy, but essential I suspect.
The strategy is delivery
I’ve read two excellent things on delivery management this week (here and here). As V2C’s first and only delivery manager, this really helped me take a step back and reflect on what I do, and what I might do better. It also made me realise that perhaps the reason the role is a good fit for me is because of my generalist tendancies and love of helping to connect the dots.
I’ve been reading…
- What’s wrong with business cases
https://jasonkitcat.com/2019/11/28/whats-wrong-with-business-cases/ - Using service patterns
https://medium.com/the-service-gazette/using-service-patterns-fd38c9b93961 - Exploring new ways to build digital products
https://blog.wearefuturegov.com/exploring-new-ways-to-build-digital-products-c13fc2cd79eb - Delivery management principles at dxw
https://www.dxw.com/2019/11/delivery-management-principles-at-dxw/ - A week in the life of a FutureGov delivery manager
https://blog.wearefuturegov.com/a-week-in-the-life-of-a-futuregov-delivery-manager-f3c58b62fd6b - Skills and capabilities for effective grant making
https://medium.com/good-grantmaking/skills-and-capabilities-for-effective-grant-making-9a23306dcfb6 - Dan Barrett’s Weeknotes S05e09
https://weeknot.es/dans-weeknotes-s05e09-dfdf8705a0b5 - Andy Callow’s weeknotes s01e42
https://weeknot.es/weeknotes-s01e42-d0175b284738 - Matthew Cain’s Weeknote v5.7
https://weeknot.es/weeknote-v5-7-a7cde2141194 - A decade retrospective
https://medium.com/@jukesie/a-decade-retrospective-2dfa74c7d38c - Steph Percival’s Weeknotes e03, Fall Edition
https://weeknot.es/weeknotes-e03-fall-edition-50bd70e89997