Executive Summary
The Public Sector Client are responsible for managing critical identity and civil registration services. The strategic ambition of the Public Sector Client is to modernise its technology estate, unlock data silos, and enable secure, real-time data integration for improved citizen services. This transformation also aimed to support broader cross-government data-sharing initiatives.The progamme was initiated to deliver a robust, secure, and modern data integration platform for UK Government agencies to underpin new services across government. A&A Digital Tech was appointed to lead this transformation owing to its proven expertise in secure public-sector data platforms and deep domain understanding.
The Challenge
The Public Sector Client faced significant barriers caused by legacy, vendor-locked systems—often undocumented, expensive to maintain, and resistant to change. These platforms lacked interoperability, preventing real-time data exchange with various inter-governmental departments. As a result, service delivery was delayed, and decision-making processes suffered.
📉 The absence of APIs and reliance on manual processes further compounded inefficiencies.
⚠️ Data was stored in multiple formats with no unified classification handling from OFFICIAL to TOP SECRET.
⛔ Prior attempts at transformation failed due to a lack of agile methods, insufficient security strategy, and fragmented stakeholder engagement.
⏱️ External pressures (e.g. regulation, fraud prevention) made modernisation time-critical, yet incumbent solutions failed to scale or meet expectations.
These challenges collectively underscored the need for a resilient, scalable, and secure data integration architecture one which A&A Digital Tech was uniquely positioned to deliver.
Our Approach and Solution
A&A Digital Tech led the strategy, architecture and design of a future-ready, cloud-enabled Unified Data Integration Platform for the Public Sector Client under the Digital Programme. Our methodology was underpinned by strong architectural discipline, agile execution, and embedded cross-government collaboration.
We began with a comprehensive diagnostic, conducting stakeholder interviews, legacy system audits, and data domain mapping. This informed our Target Architecture, which was based on zero-trust principles, leveraging a native cloud services (Microsoft Azure Stack Hub for higher classification workloads and AWS Serverless for OFFICIAL data).
Key components of our solution included:
🛠️ Serverless Architecture: Delivered a fully automated, self-healing platform using AWS-native services. This minimised cost and complexity while aligning with NCSC principles.
🔗 Public Sector Data Sharing : Enabled GraphQL APIs to support secure, schema-flexible data access across 80+ departments—replacing rigid RESTful interfaces.
👥 Agile, Blended Teams: Integrated civil servants, architects, engineers, and analysts using tools like Jira, Confluence, and Slack for seamless collaboration.
🔐 Security by Design: Embedded IAM, GuardDuty, and StreamAlert to support real-time monitoring and NCSC-aligned protective monitoring controls.
🎓 Knowledge Transition & Upskilling: Embedded a civil servant as Product Owner and delivered structured KT using mentoring, documentation, and shadowing.
Outcomes
🔁 Cross-government Adoption:Secure, policy-compliant data exchange now supports over 80+ departments.
⚡ Enhanced Agility: Reduced data migration time from 180 to 45 days through optimised pipelines and serverless tech.
🛡️ Operational Resilience:Achieved 99.99% uptime and reduced infrastructure overheads by 50% with a fully serverless solution.
📜 Security Accreditation:Approved by NCSC and internal authorities as a model architecture for classified cloud services.
📘 Knowledge Retention:Empowered civil servants through agile training and embedded cloud, DevOps, and security practices.
Key Learnings and Takeaways
🎯 Embedding civil servants in delivery roles ensures long-term capability uplift.
💡 Serverless and hybrid-cloud models are scalable—even for classified, mission-critical workloads.
🧠 GraphQL APIs enable flexible, reusable, and secure data interfaces across departments.
🤝 Early alignment with NCSC/GCHQ fosters secure architectural endorsement.
🔁 Agile iteration and empowered delivery teams result in rapid, user-centred outcomes.
