Lessons on Platform Engineering Derived from Technology in the Public Sector
In the realm of public sector computing, platform engineering is crucial in enabling digital transformation. This approach provides a flexible, secure, and scalable IT foundation that supports modernization efforts and innovation.
Platform engineering enables governments to migrate to cloud environments, reducing reliance on legacy systems, and improving operational efficiency and service delivery through centralized platforms that foster collaboration and data-driven decision-making.
Key aspects of platform engineering in this context include:
- Creating secure, centralized, and seamless IT architectures, facilitating better stakeholder engagement and constituent-focused service design.
- Supporting cloud migration and the elimination of technical debt, which are fundamental to digital government transformation by improving scalability, reducing costs, and increasing agility.
- Building platforms that enable shared computing services across agencies, on top of which innovation can be layered—enabling the use of AI, automation, and intelligent workflows in public service delivery.
- Providing scalable, secure infrastructure with pre-built reusable components and APIs to integrate legacy systems and support rapid deployment of new applications, improving accessibility and citizen experience.
- Enabling agile development and data-driven operations by using digital engineering practices like digital threads, digital twins, and cloud-powered collaboration tools that accelerate innovation in critical government domains such as defense and public safety.
- Focusing on people-centric solutions by aligning platform capabilities with actual user and organizational needs, ensuring that technology enhances public sector work without unnecessary complexity or automation for its own sake.
Many government platforms were built years ago to meet a particular need and were not designed with long-term evolution in mind. Platform engineering encourages the use of software and data service catalogs to avoid duplication of efforts and promote collaboration.
Jonny Williams, chief digital adviser for the UK public sector at Red Hat, believes that digital transformation in the UK government is a clear ambition, but delivery is not happening fast or effectively enough. He argues that platform engineering offers a compelling way forward, focusing on flexibility from above and below, rather than building another static technology stack.
Amanda Brock, CEO of OpenUK, highlights the work of Emily Middleton in driving departments' efforts towards platform engineering. The Gov.UK Blueprint for a Modern Digital Government suggests that transformation is too slow to meet the scale of public sector ambition, and platform drift leads to platform sprawl, where different teams adopt alternative platforms to meet their needs, resulting in an enormous impact at the scale of government.
In conclusion, platform engineering acts as the backbone enabling governments to modernize IT, adopt cloud and AI technologies, optimize resources, secure data, and innovate service delivery—all essential to successful digital transformation in the public sector.
Technology plays a significant role in platform engineering, as it facilitates the creation of secure, centralized, and seamless IT architectures that support digital transformation in the public sector. Platform engineering, being crucial in this context, promotes flexibility, scalability, and agility, allowing governments to leverage cloud technologies, eliminate technical debt, and foster collaboration across departments through shared computing services.
