Now

This now page explains what I’m currently focused on. For more on what I’ve been up to, check my weeknotes.

Now: August 2026

Finalising content changes for the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework with experts in business analysis, business relationship management, AI and data ethics, and agile delivery.
Planning future work with information architects, portfolio managers and compliance and assurance.
Supporting our CMS migration and frontend rebuild.
Writing my session for Service Design in Government.

Trips to Cheshire and the Lakes to see family.
Weekly swimming, weekly tag rugby, occasional running.
Reading books:
- Stuck? Diagrams Help by Abby Covert
- Dune: Messiah by Frank Herbert
- The Coniston Case - Rebecca Tope

Last updated: 16 August 2026

Continued work with groups of experts across business analysis, business relationship management, AI and data ethics, and agile delivery on draft changes for the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework, all currently scheduled for publication end of August.
Kicking off work with information architects.
Improving the transparency and robustness of information about the framework’s development over time.
Helping to shape a new roadmap for the product as a whole.
Start writing my session for Service Design in Government.

Holiday in Spain at the end of July.
Trips to the Lakes to see family.
Weekly swim, weekly tag rugby, occasional running.
Reading books:
- Stuck? Diagrams Help by Abby Covert
- The Rose Field - Phillip Pullman

Working with groups of experts across business analysis, business relationship management, AI and data ethics, and agile delivery on draft changes for the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework, all currently scheduled for publication end of August.
Improving the transparency and robustness of information about the framework’s development over time.
Exploring how to help users better understand the ways they can make use of the content, the skill descriptions in particular.

Nothing much, plenty going on elsewhere. Continued tinkering with this site, no doubt. For example, have recently made it possible for me to host prototypes like this one here.

Back to working with groups of experts across content design and data engineering on updates for the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework to go live at the end of the month.

Updating our old Rising Ape Collective website, so it acts as a record of what we achieved ‘creating playful spaces for encountering research, tech and society’ between 2025 and 2020.

Having fun balancing new baby and work and other bits of life. Enjoying the quiet evening walks with the carrier again.
Looking for a new swimming pool over the summer while my usual gets refurbished.
Reading books:
- The Regency Switch by my brilliant former colleague Helen Gaskell
- Margaret Calvert: Woman at Work
- Why Design is Hard by Scott Berkun and Bryan Zug

Taking advantage of spare moments to add little bits to this site, like a Links page, a proper footer, and this Now page.
Looking at what to do with the Rising Ape Collective website with my friends in Bristol - hoping to archive it gracefully, so much brilliant work recorded there.

Enjoying baby mode again with Kid B, and ‘learning to ride a bike’ mode with Kid A.
Squeezing in short runs instead of tag rugby and swimming - maybe these will stick after my leave?
Finding time to read books!

Working with groups of experts across content design, data engineering and data ethics on updates for the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.
Website design and content strategy for the new Government Cyber Profession, including the first version of its capability framework.

Setting up the next ‘X-Gov Sheffield meetup’ for public sector folk around here, Tuesday 17 March.