Why adoption matters
On World Adoption Day, Emma-Claire Shaw reflects on her own experiences of adopting, five years ago, and looks forward to embarking on the adoption journey for a second time, very soon.
Robotics automation: Is it like having a little R2-D2 processing work for us?
Linda Williams from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) explains how harnessing the benefits of robotics automation is making a real difference for her and her colleagues.
Three cyber security threats to keep in mind this month
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and Laurie Doyle explains why, with 2.1 million malicious cyber campaigns reported in 2022, it’s more important than ever to know how to protect yourself online.
Recycle Week 2023: helping local authorities to onboard a new system for improving recycling efficiency
In Recycle Week Jenny Rogal and Polly Howden explain how the work they are doing to develop a new Local Authority Payments tool will ensure the tool meets the needs of the end users – local authorities.
How resources and waste are using a research panel to engage with users
In Recycle Week, Jason Stockwell reflects on the user research process taking place under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for packaging, which will see packaging producers paying the full cost of disposing of packaging waste, money which in turn will be granted to local authorities to cover recycling and disposal costs.
What a content designer does in discovery: Part Two
In the second post of this two-part blog, Defra content designers, Ruth Fryer and Sandeep Dhaliwal mention artefacts, approaches, analysis and how to finish discovery and prepare for alpha.
The Rise and Importance of Identity Verification
In our increasingly interconnected world, the management of identities has become a paramount concern. This concern extends to both individuals and organizations across various sectors such as finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and government. As the digital landscape continues to expand, the importance of robust identity verification systems (IVS) has never been more pronounced.
The advent of online services has ushered in a new era of convenience, allowing individuals to conduct transactions, access services, and communicate globally with ease. However, this digital evolution has also brought forth a slew of challenges, primarily revolving around identity management and verification. People now engage in a wide range of activities online, from shopping and banking to social networking and e-health consultations, all of which involve personal information.
As personal information increasingly finds its way into the digital realm, malicious actors and cybercriminals have seized opportunities to exploit identities for their gain. Identity theft and fraud have emerged as significant threats to both individuals and the organizations they interact with. Recognizing the gravity of this issue, governments and regulatory bodies have enacted stringent measures such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements in financial and healthcare sectors to underscore the importance of robust identity verification.
How we built a new water management eligibility checker
In World Water Week we hear from Daniel de Cruz about his work on a new ‘Farm Transformation Fund’ water management eligibility checker.
Listening to anglers is helping to improve our fishing licence service
As National Fishing Month gets underway again, we hear from Jenny Yates, Service Owner in our ‘I Want to Fish’ team, about what our latest user research into digital fishing licences shows, and what future improvements anglers might see as a result.
Why it’s important for me to make time for self-care
On International Self-Care Day Sarah Hoy explores what self-care means to her, and considers how each of us can try to improve our health.