Government chief data officer set to move on over four and a half years
Mike Bracken is leaving his position as executive director of the Government Digital Service (GDS) and government chief data officer.
The Cabinet Office has announced that he will leave on 30 September, before which he will take part in identifying the best structure for the government’s future efforts at implementing digital policy.
This suggests that there could be a change, if not in the basics of the policy, at least in the approach to its implementation. The Cabinet Office statement applauded Bracken’s work on the first phase of the government’s digital transformation and said that people that he had helped to bring in would lead the next phase.
The government has shown every sign of sticking to the emphasis on Government as a Platform, and the ongoing development of the Digital Marketplace and the GOV.UK Verify identity assurance service.
Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood said: “Under his leadership the UK is now genuinely considered to be a world leader in digital government.
“Mike has also done a great job building an enduring digital capability within the Civil Service, helping to attract world class digital talent into government, both in GDS and in departments. Thanks to the outstanding platform Mike has built I am confident that our programme of digital and data transformation will continue apace.”
Update 6 August: Bracken later announced on his personal blog that he is going to join the Co-operative Group as chief digital officer.
Picture: Paul Clarke http://paulclarke.com
