Public Sector Cloud Guide briefing with GDS

On 20 May we were delighted to host a webinar with the GDS Cloud Strategy team on their recent cloud guide for the public sector. The event gave techUK members a chance to hear in more detail the guide that GDS put together with the Government Commercial Function. The team briefed the supplier community on the key points in the Cloud Guidance, the background to the review, and what the next steps are.

Cloud spend is increasing across government, in new services and in existing services. Back in 2013 when the Cloud First Policy was introduced, the main focus was about getting organisations to consider the Cloud before considering any other solutions. This didn't mean the Cloud would be mandatory, but organisations needed to be able to demonstrate that the alternative is good value for money.

In 2019 the team at GDS conducted their review and spoke to 17 different Government Departments agencies of various sizes. Over 50 technical and commercial representatives participated in user research, briefings and workshops. They explored what was in the name 'Cloud First', whether people would assume this meant Cloud-only, and whether further guidance was needed. 

The newly published guide looks at the Cloud First Policy to ensure that it remains appropriate for the public sector, and that it meets the needs of an ever-changing landscape where cloud-based solutions are becoming the norm for many organisations. The Cloud Guide compiles all Government cloud guidance in one place and tries to address areas where users need more guidance in making decisions. The authors identified three main issues that organisations should consider: 

• Balancing lock-in
• Creating a hosting strategy
• Managing costs

The main messages from the guide and the team at GDS are about preventing organisations from falling into a strategy by accident rather than picking the right one for them. Many end up with a gradual move to the Cloud and haven't considered how best to choose a hosting solution and to choose the simplest strategy that works. 

The briefing was then followed by a Q&A session.