Skip to main content

Our first in-person Cross Government Software Engineering Conference 2025

The Cross Government Software Engineering Conference, held on January 29, 2025, in GDS Whitechapel building in London, was a fantastic gathering of professionals dedicated to the advancement of software development within the public sector.

It took a lot of organising by the Cross Government Software Engineering Community, but this event was a powerful reminder of the value of collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation in government technology. Pulling off an event of this scale was no small feat, and immense credit goes to the organising committee, particularly hard work by Alex Coleman (Active Travel England) and Claudia Chiurlia (GDS’s Engineering Excellence team), and the conference helpers who ensured everything ran smoothly. The success of the conference demonstrated a strong demand for continued engagement and collaboration within the community.

Posters at Cross Government Software Engineering Conference

Keynote Highlights

The conference kicked off with an inspiring keynote from Asim Hussain of the Green Software Foundation. His talk focused on sustainable software practices, highlighting the need for consistent measurement of environmentally responsible development approaches and cloud use. This keynote reminded attendees of their responsibility to consider sustainability in their software engineering efforts.
Later in the afternoon, Terence Eden captivated and inspired the audience with lessons from open-sourcing the UK’s COVID-19 tracing app. His story of the time showed all sides to open collaboration in government projects, emphasising how these principles (embraced in the service standard) can lead to better public trust and more robust software solutions and better security.

Terence Eden standing near banner at the Cross Government Software Engineering Conference Asim Hussain standing near banner at the Cross Government Software Engineering Conference

Engaging Lightning Talks

One of the standout features of the conference came from the community members themselves, this was the series of lightning talks, where speakers from various government departments delivered the following topics:

  • Transforming API Management: From Vendor Lock-in to Open Source by Abhi Markan

  • So, You’re Interested in Green Software - Now What? by Rachael Robinson

  • Creative Technology in Government by Brendan Arnold

  • Data Engineering is a Software Discipline by Michal Poreba

  • We Ran a Hackathon: Here’s How to Make It Work by Hettie Street and Stephanie De Jong

Great Sessions

Beyond the lightning talks, the conference provided in-depth sessions that explored critical government software initiatives. Topics included:

  • Transforming How We Implement the Rules of Legal Aid by Bex Appleyard

  • GOV.UK One Login: What, Why and How by Phil Fordham & Paul Dougan

  • Applying AI to the Legislative Process by Liam Wilkinson

  • Evolving GOV.UK Chat from Prototype to Production AI System by Alessia Tosi, Kevin Dew, and Rich Eveson

These sessions provided an a in-depth look at the innovative work teams are doing across government departments, offering attendees practical takeaways to improve their own projects.

Building Connections and Community

The conference also provided valuable time for attendees to network and chat. With attendees from 36 different departments and agencies, the event hopefully created new connections between people who might otherwise not meet. At lunch there seemed to be people lost in discussions, sharing challenges, and exchanging best practices, the objectives of a cross-government software engineering community were surely met.

A Big Success

While not everyone who wanted to attend could get a ticket, the enthusiasm for this event signals the need for more opportunities like this in the future. As we take a well-earned break, plans are already in motion for what comes next.
For those working in UK Government software engineering, joining our community is a fantastic way to stay connected and engaged. The momentum from this conference will continue to drive innovation and collaboration across departments.

David Heath closing conference remarks at Cross Government Software Engineering Conference

Final remarks by David Heath – Community Founder and Head of Engineering Enablement GDS

A huge thank you to the speakers, sponsors, hosts, and every attendee who made this event possible.
Acknowledgement of the support of the UK GovCamp Grant fund to help fund the conference

Author: Shaun Hare, Organiser of Cross Government Software Engineering Community