AGO's actions in response to the Government Digital Strategy
Updated 16 January 2015
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Action 1: Departmental and transactional agency boards will include an active digital leader
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has board-level responsibility for digital, with oversight of the digital by default agenda. The Law Officers’ departments are not transactional agencies but all have a board member with responsibility for digital.
Progress during 2013
AGO has board-level responsibility for digital, with oversight of the digital by default agenda. The Law Officers’ departments are not transactional agencies but each has a board member with responsibility for digital.
Planned activities in 2014
AGO will continue to provide board-level responsibility for digital, with oversight of the digital by default agenda.
Progress during 2014
AGO has board-level responsibility for digital, with oversight of the digital by default agenda. The Law Officers’ departments are not transactional agencies but each has a board member with responsibility for digital.
Planned activities in 2015
AGO will continue to provide board-level responsibility for digital, with oversight of the digital by default agenda.
Action 2: Services handling over 100,000 transactions each year will be redesigned, operated and improved by a suitably skilled, experienced and empowered service manager
Service managers will be in place for new and redesigned transactions from April 2013.
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments do not have any transactional services handling more than 100,000 transactions a year but recognise the importance of leadership. They will identify a suitably skilled and empowered service manager for all digital services that they operate.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments do not have any transactional services handling more than 100,000 transactions a year but recognise the importance of leadership. A suitably skilled and empowered service manager has been identified for all digital services that the department operates.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments will ensure that a suitably skilled and empowered service manager is in place for all digital services that the departments operate.
Progress during 2014
Law Officers’ departments do not have any transactional services handling more than 100,000 transactions a year but recognise the importance of leadership. A suitably skilled and empowered service manager has been identified for all digital services that the department operates.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments will ensure that a suitably skilled and empowered service manager is in place for all digital services that the departments operate.
Action 3: All departments will ensure that they have appropriate digital capability in-house, including specialist skills
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
AGO has a team which is leading on digital and is assisting the Law Officers’ departments on digital transformation where required.
Progress during 2013
AGO has continued to work with the other Law Officers’ departments to support their digital teams.
Planned activities in 2014
AGO will continue to work with the other Law Officers’ departments to support their digital teams.
Progress during 2014
AGO used internal digital platforms as a way of raising specialist digital skills.
Planned activities in 2015
AGO will continue to work with the other Law Officers’ departments to support their digital teams.
AGO will include digital skills as part of learning and development plans. All departmental staff will achieve at least level 7 capability against the digital inclusion scale.
Action 4: Cabinet Office will support improved digital capability across departments
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
AGO is working with Cabinet Office and the Government Digital Service (GDS) to ensure that it has the digital capability it requires and will be assisting the Law Officers’ departments where required. The Law Officers’ departments are keen to work with Cabinet Office to improve their digital capability.
Progress during 2013
AGO has continued to work with GDS to ensure that it has the digital capability it requires and has worked with the Law Officers’ departments to help improve their digital capability.
Planned activities in 2014
AGO will continue to work with GDS to ensure that it has the digital capability it requires.
Progress during 2014
AGO has continued to work with GDS to ensure it has the digital capability it requires. It has also worked with the Law Officers’ departments to help improve their digital capability.
Planned activities in 2015
AGO will continue to work with GDS to ensure that it has the digital capability it requires.
Action 5: For transactional departments, 3 exemplar services will be selected
Redesign starting April 2013, implemented by March 2015 (to be included in relevant business plans). Following this, departments will redesign all services handling over 100,000 transactions each year.
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments do not have any services handling over 100,000 transactions a year.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments do not have any services handling over 100,000 transactions a year.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments do not have any services handling over 100,000 transactions a year.
Progress during 2014
Law Officers’ departments do not have any services handling over 100,000 transactions a year.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments do not have any services handling over 100,000 transactions a year.
Action 6: From April 2014, all new or redesigned transactional services will meet the Digital by Default Service Standard
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments have identified their transactional services. Any new or redesigned services launched after April 2014 will meet the digital by default standard. They will be working with GDS to redesign the Bona Vacantia Division’s advertisements of the estates that they are dealing with and their case referral process in 2013, and these will also meet the standard.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments have not developed any new or redesigned transactional services in 2013. The Bona Vacantia Division of the Treasury Solicitor’s department is working with GDS to transition their website to GOV.UK; this includes an existing transactional service.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments will ensure that any new transactional services or existing ones that are redeveloped in 2014 will meet the Digital by Default Service Standard.
Progress during 2014
Law Officers’ departments have not developed any new or redesigned transactional services.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments will ensure that any new transactional services or existing ones that are redeveloped will meet the Digital by Default Service Standard.
Action 7: Corporate publishing activities of all 24 central government departments will move onto GOV.UK by March 2013, with agency and arm’s length bodies’ online publishing to follow by July 2014
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
AGO will move to GOV.UK in December 2013. The Law Officers’ departments without exemptions will move to GOV.UK by March 2014.
Progress during 2013
AGO moved to GOV.UK in December 2013. Bona Vacantia Division of Treasury Solicitors, Government Legal Service and Treasury Solicitor’s department are working with GDS on transitioning their websites.
Planned activities in 2014
AGO will ensure that migration to GOV.UK of the departmental websites without exemptions will be completed ahead of March 2014.
Progress during 2014
All agreed agency and arm’s length body websites transitioned to GOV.UK by the end of the year.
Planned activities in 2015
AGO will continue to review and improve its content on GOV.UK.
Action 8: Departments will raise awareness of their digital services so that more people know about them and use them
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments are raising awareness of their digital services as part of the migration to GOV.UK.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments only have small number of low-volume digital services but are looking to improve these to increase awareness as part of the transition of departmental websites to GOV.UK.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments will look to improve their digital services to increase awareness as part of the transition of departmental websites to GOV.UK.
Progress during 2014
Law Officers’ departments only have a small number of low-volume digital services. They are looking to improve these to increase awareness as part of the transition of departmental websites to GOV.UK.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments will look to improve their digital services to increase awareness of GOV.UK.
Action 9: We will take a cross-government approach to assisted digital
This means that people who have rarely or never been online will be able to access services offline, and we will provide additional ways for them to use the digital services.
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
When designing new services, or redesigning existing services, the Law Officers’ departments will consider the needs of those who are unable to access the internet, or find it difficult to do so. They will ensure that, where necessary, support and encouragement is available for those who could use the digital channel and that phone or face-to-face support is provided for those who will never use digital channels.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments have not launched any new digital services or redesigned existing ones in 2013 but continue to support assisted digital.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments will ensure that any new or redesigned services in 2014 will consider the needs of those who are unable to access the internet, or find it difficult to do so. Where necessary, support and encouragement will be available for those who could use the digital channel, and phone or face-to-face support will be provided for those who will never use digital channels.
Progress during 2014
Law Officers’ departments have not launched any new digital services or redesigned existing ones in 2014, but continue to support assisted digital.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments will ensure that any new or redesigned services will consider the needs of those who are unable to access the internet, or find it difficult to do so. Support and encouragement will be available for those who could use the digital channel. Phone or face-to-face support will be provided for those who will never use digital channels.
Action 10: Cabinet Office will offer leaner and more lightweight tendering processes, as close to the best practice in industry as our regulatory requirements allow
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments support leaner and more lightweight tendering processes and are keen to make use of processes that Cabinet Office make available.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments have a number of ongoing projects they will look to procure through leaner and more lightweight tendering processes such as the G-Cloud.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments are keen to make further use of leaner and more lightweight tendering processes and this is built into project design and the approvals process.
Progress during 2014
AGO procured through G-Cloud and Digital Service Frameworks.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments are keen to make further use of leaner and more lightweight tendering processes and this is built into project design and the approvals process.
Action 11: Cabinet Office will lead in the definition and delivery of a new suite of common technology platforms which will underpin the new generation of digital by default services
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments support the use of common platforms and, where they are not already in use, will move to them where there are opportunities. The Crown Prosecution Service has been leading in this area, working across the criminal justice system to develop a common platform to share case information throughout the chain.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments have a number of ongoing projects that are looking to take advantage of shared platforms. AGO is promoting the adoption and use of shared platforms within the Law Officers’ departments.
Planned activities in 2014
AGO will continue to encourage the adoption and use of shared platforms within the Law Officers’ departments.
Progress during 2014
AGO continued to work with GDS and other departments in the development of common platforms to support the way we provide information and services.
Planned activities in 2015
AGO will continue to encourage the adoption and use of shared platforms within the Law Officers’ departments.
Action 12: Cabinet Office will continue to work with departments to remove legislative barriers which unnecessarily prevent the development of straightforward and convenient digital services
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments support the removal of legislative barriers where they prevent the development of straightforward and convenient digital services.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments continue to support the removal of legislative barriers where they prevent the development of straightforward and convenient digital services.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments will continue to support the removal of legislative barriers where they prevent the development of straightforward and convenient digital services.
Progress during 2014
AGO is not aware of any legislative barriers.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments will continue to support the removal of legislative barriers where they prevent the development of straightforward and convenient digital services.
Action 13: Departments will supply a consistent set of management information (as defined by the Cabinet Office) for their transactional services
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments have supplied management information on their transactional services and recognise the importance of using this to improve services.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments have been working with GDS to ensure that they provide management information on their transactional services.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments will provide a consistent set of management information on their transactional services.
Progress during 2014
Law Officers’ departments have been working with GDS to ensure that they provide management information on their transactional services.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments will provide a consistent set of management information on their transactional services.
Action 14: Policy teams will use digital tools and techniques to engage with and consult the public
Departmental digital strategy commitments (December 2012)
The Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.
Progress during 2013
Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.
Planned activities in 2014
Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.
Progress during 2014
AGO provided guidance to staff on the use of digital tools.
Planned activities in 2015
Law Officers’ departments do not lead on any policy areas and only have input into other departments’ policy areas where they have an interest.
Action 15: Collaborate with partners across public, private and voluntary sectors to help people go online
Action 15 was added to the Digital Strategy in December 2013, so reporting on departments’ actions will begin with 2014.
Progress during 2014
AGO continues to support the work of the GDS Digital Inclusion team.
Planned activities in 2015
AGO will continue to support the work of the GDS Digital Inclusion team.
Action 16: Help third party organisations create new services and better information access for their own users by opening up government data and transactions
Action 16 was added to the Digital Strategy in December 2013, so reporting on departments’ actions will begin with 2014.
Progress during 2014
AGO does not hold data sets that would be appropriate to open up through Application Programme Interfaces (APIs).
2015
AGO does not hold data sets that would be appropriate to open up through APIs.