By @edent · covid19 nhsx retropost WeekNotes work · 4 comments · 750 words · read ~329 times.
This is a retropost. Written contemporaneously in 2020, but published four years after the events. It's May 2020 as I write this. I'm typing to capture the moment. Right now, I've no idea what the impact is. This is the exact moment, on Thursday May 7th, I hit the Big Red Button - three of […]
Continue reading →By @edent · WeekNotes · 4 comments · 350 words · read ~287 times.
I mentioned in my previous weeknotes that a change was coming1. I've left the Civil Service. I've started my new consultancy. And now... I've got a new job! A previous regeneration saw me catapulted into the world of health tech at NHSX. Then another saw me go to data. Then over to cyber. And now… […]
Continue reading →By @edent · career employment gov.uk WeekNotes · 13 comments · 1,400 words · read ~690 times.
I hate being introspective. But I'm told it's good for me. A few months ago, I handed in my notice to Cabinet Office. And now I'm no longer a Civil Servant. It's hard to sum up those 2,462 days. Every day brought new challenges. I saw my work presented to the highest offices in the […]
Continue reading →By @edent · WeekNotes · 550 words · read ~238 times.
I have a new job! Yay and Hurrah! One of the best things about the new team is they have an internal wiki detailing what they do, with comprehensive information for new starters. I can't begin to tell you how useful this was. In my opinion, every team in every workplace should have something like […]
Continue reading →By @edent · WeekNotes work · 3 comments · 850 words · read ~124 times.
lustrum lŭs′trəm A ceremonial purification of the entire ancient Roman population after the census every five years. A period of five years. Five long years ago I quit my job in the mobile industry and started working for the Civil Service. It has been an "interesting" period! On a personal level, I've gone from GDS, […]
Continue reading →By @edent · covid19 nhs nhsx WeekNotes · 1 comment · 200 words · read ~199 times.
I know exactly what I was doing on 9th April 2020. I was worrying about open-sourcing the NHS Covid Tracing app. I was worrying about tech standards for booking test slots. I was worrying if I'd ever see my family and friends again. I was worrying if the NHS websites would contain enough semantic HTML […]
Continue reading →By @edent · HTML5 web WeekNotes work · 53 comments · 650 words · read ~62,975 times.
I've told this story at conferences - but due to the general situation I thought I'd retell it here. A few years ago I was doing policy research in a housing benefits office in London. They are singularly unlovely places. The walls are brightened up with posters offering helpful services for people fleeing domestic violence. […]
Continue reading →By @edent · MSc WeekNotes · 2 comments · 550 words · read ~263 times.
I'm doing an MSc Apprenticeship! As part of my desire to work in the open, these are (semi-regular) weeknotes about what I've done / learned / achieved. I tend to be grumpy and curmudgeonly when faced with something I don't understand - or when I suspect I won't be good at an activity. So read […]
Continue reading →By @edent · WeekNotes · 7 comments · 200 words · read ~197 times.
I spent the first few months of lockdown in a blur. Working with NHSX, on the national app launch, meant that I didn't have a minute to think about what was going on outside my immediate focus. Then, a few months ago, I switched to a new job in the Data Standards Authority - so […]
Continue reading →By @edent · gds WeekNotes · 1 comment · 400 words · read ~286 times.
Four years ago today, I turned up in Holborn for my first day at GDS - Government Digital Service. I've now experienced two Prime Ministers (Primes Minister?), two departments, and one pandemic. So I thought I'd take a look back at some highlights and lowlights. I've worked for half-a-dozen brilliant managers, helped create a new […]
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