In praise of Matt Jukes and ONS Digital

We've just seen the news that Matt Jukes, Head of Digital Transformation at ONS Digital, is moving on to new pastures. 

The numbers coming out of the Office for National Statistics affect all of us, whether we're trying to access them ourselves, or whether politicians are using them to make decisions that have an impact on our lives. 

The ONS's website used to be an easy target. We described using it to MPs as like getting on a magic roundabout.

After a few years clinging to that magic roundabout and shouting "faster, faster", it eventually took off.

Matt, Laura Dewis (Chief Publishing Officer) and their team launched the new site earlier this year.

It's better organised, better built, and actually modern.

We can get data out using computer programmes, so now it's possible to do some projects we've been working towards for years. (Watch this space)

We've seen journalists notice that things are beginning to get better.

There is a lot left to do. ONS has run a marathon to get to the starting line for getting digital right. The race is now on.

So thank you, Matt, and good luck with what's next—and thank you to everyone who's doing the next leg too.