Phil Rumens

As a side-project I've been prototyping something to bring GDS' Local Government Architecture Model to
life.
I wanted to create a prototype to map and show the connections between items in the layers in the technology stack used by councils to deliver the hundreds of services they offer.
The two ultimate aims are to create something that:

• service designers, technical architects, business architects can use as part of their profession.
• something that shows the connections between technical, business and data architecture.

For now it's just about being able to visualise the layers and the connections between them, but not all the connections are mapped, so whilst it looks pretty, it's probably not that useful as it is, which is where you come in.
You can take look here, and if you'd like to get involved and edit the data you can request access here.

Back in February 2025, I set aside some time in my diary to do something simple: talk to strangers, once a week.

The idea was borrowed from the NHS' Randomised Coffee Trial and similar initiatives, though in my version the selection of participants was anything but random. 

I wanted to discuss technology, data, and the internet as they relate to the design and delivery of public services, though we could talk about anything, provided:it isn’t:

• A product or service you’d like to sell me

• A political party or politician

• Working for me, or me working for you

I expected a handful of takers in the first few weeks. A year and a new role later, it's still going.

The topics have been as varied as I’d hoped. Artificial intelligence came up often,  from the ethics of agentic AI to specific tools and the case for small language models. 

Other conversations went deep on Universal Property Reference Numbers, development capacity in local government, and the broader challenges of digital public services.

Then there were the tangents I didn't see coming: someone asking me to help format their data; a shared memory of attending UEFA Women's Euro 2022; and a conversation about how the public's behaviour towards a former police officer changed entirely depending on whether or not they were carrying a firearm.

Only a couple of times did things drift toward a sales pitch,  though I should note that my own job description involves working with vendors, and roughly half my guests have come from the private or third sector.

I won't pretend I wasn't nervous at first, but I can honestly say I look forward to these conversations. Each one has been rewarding in its own way, and I've learned far more across those twelve months than I expected.

If you're thinking of doing something similar, my advice is straightforward: set your own rules, remind people of them at the start, and don't hesitate to click the leave button if you need to.

Here's to another year of varied and unexpected conversation. If you'd like to chat, don't be a stranger, you can book a slot, usually at 4.30pm on a Thursday, right here.