04-04-25 - Hello and Welcome

Well, hello and welcome!

Start of the new (Financial) year and having just returned from leave, I thought I would try the art of weeknoting.

For anyone that knows me or has worked with me in the past, the thing I hate doing is anything that has me writing in long form. This likely stems from dyslexia and ADHD, one meaning I can’t spell, the other meaning I can’t finish writing a sentence before 5 other thoughts pop in. But I am pushing myself to try a) as a way to improve my writing skills, b) improve my working memory and c) to try to embody working in the open more.

What shape and format these notes are going to take, I don’t know, but we will find out over the coming weeks as I find my rhythm and style.

For context, in my current role I am an AI delivery lead in Defra working in our central AI Unit, with the mission of governing, empowering and delivering an AI-Enabled Organisation. No short order especially as currently our team is just 2 people! But it is an interesting time to be working on AI in Defra. We have been identified as one of departments that are lagging behind when it comes to AI adoption and that has now reached SCS and ministers and they are interested to change that quite soon which means a lot of opportunities ahead!

Highs

• As an AI unit, we all came together in person to speak about our future vision and strategy for AI within the organisation. This offered some great clarity on our direction.
• Coming together in person was really nice and being able to talk with colleagues over lunch is always time well spent!
• I have started to write out what I see as the differing responsibilities for AI within the Department, and it has gained traction, so I am looking forward to developing and sharing that more.
• With heightened interest in AI, I have started to speak more with private office colleagues and the conversations have been super positive.
• Spending Review bids are feeling good and I am confident we will get the investment needed to deliver.

Lows

• Attended an old colleague, now friend’s, departure drinks before they move up to Scotland. I am sad to see them leave the city but I know that we will not lose touch.
• Started this week sleepless after having to collect my brother from the airport and that has left me feeling tired and drained throughout the week.
• Coming back from leave answering all the outstanding FOI’s… only for 2 more to come in!
• Trying to understand the SR process within the department, just as I think I have understood the whole system and process, something different appears.

Learnt

• Attended a session put on by GDS focused on Securing AI it was basic and nothing above what I would consider common sense. I ended up dialing off to watch some more detailed videos on YouTube.

Inspired

Been inspired to try drawing more. Like writing, it’s a skill I perceive not to be great at, but colleagues like Karina who shares her sketchnotes openly and team mates from rugby who share their creative drawings on their Instagram Stories reminded me the best way to improve is to just start.

Wouldn’t it be nice

This week spending review has occupied a lot of brain space and I have had to navigate different templates, translating the same data across them and not really sure how one differs from another and what they feed into. I am doing this on top of my regular day-to-day job. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a digital service that you could upload your SR bid to and then some sort of case management that helps you tick things off?

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