[handelaar]

People elsewhere in the world: whatever anybody tells you when they're crapping on the UK Government Digital Service, make sure they're not using HMRC as an example.

Famously HMRC resists everything GDS has ever tried to do, and after GDS built a entire system for secure gov ID login which is deliberately not tied to a single vendor, HMRC refused to use it and instead is building another one, which is locked to a single vendor in perpetuity.

Search "UK GDS HMRC" for a sample of just the most recent bit of tiresome Whitehall infighting.

[Edit: Oh, and -- the identity system that HMRC wants is a replacement for its nearly-20-year-old pre-existing one. This may or may not have anything to do with the fact that it's insecure in a massively corrupt way. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-38979144 ]

[dasil003]

That's so frustrating. The GDS is one of the shining beacons of government tech done right, I was very impressed with their work and team when I lived in London from 2011-2014.

I guess HMRC took one look and said "this not sufficiently bureaucratic for our needs". In general I liked the HMRC much better than the IRS, but I was sort of shocked to receive a paper cheque for my refund as it was the only time I ever saw a check in the UK. They have their ways I guess.

[GordonS]

GDS has a great blog[1] which I recommend, and have published a lot of stuff to GitHub too[2]. I never imagined the words 'government' and 'IT' could be used in the same sentence without laughing before learning about this group.

Whenever I read of yet another multi-billion pound failed IT project by SAIC or the like, I always wonder why on earth they didn't just let GDS at it.

[1]https://gdstechnology.blog.gov.uk [2]https://github.com/alphagov

[throwaway6845]

Ok, I'll take your word for it, but that said HMRC is the only way in which I ever interact with the Government online.

If GDS can't get their claws into HMRC then Government digital (lower case) is pretty broken.