UK public sector: How to unlock the power of cloud (Guest blog from Kainos)

By Aislinn McBride, Services CTO at Kainos

Although the UK Government has had a cloud-first strategy since 2013, the road to public sector cloud adoption has been long (and often bumpy). There’s certainly been lots of success, but many local and national organisations would like to move further along the curve.  

This challenge was at the heart of techUK’s Cloud Week 2024. As part of the programme of events, I joined an expert panel to discuss opportunities for cloud to contribute to a more productive and efficient public sector with higher quality and more innovative public services 

Here are my key takeaways from the discussion. 

The public sector cloud opportunity  

Cloud computing offers many opportunities for innovation and efficiency – both of which are crucial for the public sector to drive efficiency and improve citizen services. 

Key areas the panellists and event attendees highlighted were: 

• Flexibility and adaptability – The inherent flexibility of cloud technology (whether it’s through Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) or Software as a Service (SaaS)) allows organisations to swiftly adapt to evolving regulations and citizen demands. This adaptability creates an environment perfect for agile experimentation and service delivery innovation 

• Access to AI services – Embracing the cloud opens access to AI services that enhance service quality and efficiency. Leveraging AI capabilities embedded in cloud platforms enables rapid experimentation and iteration, leading to tangible improvements 

• Citizen-centric solutions – Cloud offers a streamlined pathway to citizen-centric services that prioritise accessibility, quality and innovation. It’s easier to design, deploy and scale personalised, efficient, and innovative features across areas from healthcare to public safety, transforming the way organisations interact with citizens 

• Sustainability – Effective use of cloud technology can significantly reduce the public sector’s carbon footprint, which is critical given the UK’s 2050 net zero ambitions. For example, Kainos and Microsoft helped the International Organization for Migration reduce their Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 92% by moving to Azure, saving 594 tonnes of CO2 annually. 

• Cost savings – The other panellists and I agreed that the business case for public sector cloud migration remains compelling, particularly where there’s so much pressure to deliver more for less. For example, Kainos helped The Pensions Regulator achieve significant savings by migrating to Microsoft Azure, which you can read about here. 

Charting a course to successful cloud transformation 

To overcome barriers and unlock cloud’s transformative potential, the UK public sector must adopt a strategic and holistic approach where you: 

• Embrace collaboration – Effective cloud transformation needs collaboration among government agencies and industry partners. Partners and cloud providers bring critical expertise to the table when it comes to overcoming common pitfalls and moving to cloud-enabled ways of working  

• Invest in education – Education and upskilling initiatives are pivotal in making the most of cloud. Giving employees the necessary training and resources enables them to embrace the new technology and agile approach, so you can move to a new innovation culture that maximises value from the new technology 

• Foster innovation – Cultivating an organisational culture centred on innovation and agility is paramount for successful cloud adoption. Prioritising outcome-focused approaches and measuring success based on value delivered to citizens are essential tenets. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, public sector organisations can realise the full potential of cloud technology 

• Consider opportunities with both infrastructure and operations – This helps you maximise the cloud’s cost savings and sustainability potential. For example, cloud gives you the ability to dynamically scale, so you only use what you need (reducing energy requirements and avoid paying for capacity you don’t need). Likewise, there are easy ways to improve operational efficiency by removing waste caused by unused assets in code (like minifying google fonts on mobile websites), switching image formats and optimising end user device battery life (for example, by switching colour schemes). 

Success is worth it – and within reach 

Ultimately, the journey to cloud-enabled government services might have a few bumps along the way. But the payoff? Well, it's huge. 

By addressing cultural barriers, investing in education and fostering collaboration, public sector leaders can navigate the complexities of cloud adoption and unlock the full potential of technology to better serve citizens.  

In doing so, they will pave the way for more agile, efficient, and citizen-centric services for years to come.