Signals 4 - Covid ('21) — Public Digital

Foreword by Stacey Walden

Welcome to the fourth edition of Signals, a collection of relevant stories from people we hold in high regard. (originally published July 2021).

In this edition, leaders working in delivery, data, technology, procurement, research and cyber security share their observations on how the pandemic has affected their respective disciplines. Many of them predict the changes we’re likely to see in the near future as a result of the crisis, and several discuss the areas where we need to tread carefully or – quite honestly – just do better.

Throughout the pandemic, the contributors have either been on the frontline designing and building digital services, or advising on best practices that will benefit as many citizens as possible, as soon as possible.

Every contributor noticed a heightened urgency for change during the crisis. Both the private and public sector have had no choice but to listen carefully to their advice. Each concludes that the pandemic has accelerated trends that were already unstoppable – the trends they’d been pushing for and encouraging for a long time.

At Public Digital, we specialise in digital transformation – we help change how organisations work so that they can survive and thrive in the internet era. But despite this focus, we’ve always had a preference within the team to publish Signals as a physical book that we can hold in our hands, give to clients, pass to new starters and stack on our desks. And that’s why we’ve committed all 4 editions to paper.

Online posts can be tweaked and edited in line with new ways of thinking or popular opinion, but the permanence of ink on paper roots each collection of stories in a very specific time.

The stories in this edition reflect a very strange time in history and a very significant time in digital transformation. It will be interesting to look back at this collection in years to come.

Thank you to all our contributors. We are especially grateful for your time during a difficult and overwhelming year.

Signals 4 - Covid ('21)

Focus on people

Digital transformation, like all transformations, is grounded in a common truth: humans are at its centre. They feel its effects, and they affect its outcomes.

Signals 4 - Covid ('21)

The numbers game: data and covid

The pandemic has been dominated by data. Charts and numbers have been at the forefront of public debate like never before. It is a reminder that data matters.

Signals 4 - Covid ('21)

Cyber security post-covid

Certain cyber threats that have existed for years and had been deemed to be commonplace by most security experts became more prominent when we started to depend entirely on technology to do business.

Signals 4 - Covid ('21)

User research in covid

For user researchers, the implications of the pandemic have been challenging.

Signals 4 - Covid ('21)

Procurement, remote

There have been many benefits from having to adapt to a world where procurement takes place remotely..

Signals 4 - Covid ('21)

Stop budgeting, start teams

As covid-19 continues its profound impact on organisations across the world, most of them have had to adapt quickly to survive, let alone thrive.