Further in-depth details of my role at the Gambling Commission.
The Gambling Commission in the UK oversees the licensing and regulation of gambling businesses. They provide various types of licences and charge fees based on the scale and type of gambling activities conducted. The website allows operators to apply for licences, pay fees, and maintain compliance with regulations.
• Licences and Permits: Businesses can apply for different licences, including operating licences for various gambling activities (e.g., casinos, betting, bingo, lotteries), and personal licences for individuals in key management positions. Licences can be applied for and managed online via the Gambling Commission’s eServices portal.
• Fees: Operators must pay application fees when applying for a licence and annual fees to maintain their licences. The fees vary based on the annual gross gambling yield (GGY) and the type of licence held. The website offers a fee calculator to help businesses understand their financial obligations.
• Compliance and Guidance: The Gambling Commission provides extensive resources and guidance to ensure operators comply with regulations. This includes the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP), which set out the requirements for holding a licence, and various compliance and anti-money laundering (AML) hubs that offer detailed guidance and case studies.
Specific skills Used:
- Product Management: Creating and delivering product roadmaps using data and metrics to improve products. Defining MVPs and ensuring continuous product iteration.
Below Agile Artefacts:
Digital Agile Lifecycle
Epic Delivery Approach
- Leadership and Management: Multidisciplinary teams of up to 40 members. Providing strategic oversight and motivating team members in coaching in Agile, Scrum, Azure DevOps, Lean, and user-centred practices.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Setting and owning product visions and standards. Effectively communicating strategy and plans to stakeholders at all levels.
- Risk and Problem Management: Proactively managing risks and dependencies. Solving problems within a larger strategic context – especially – data management and architecture – as part of a data strategy.
- Technical and Analytics: Applying business analysis, user research, content, and UX design principles. Ensuring compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Projects / Products: Led large-scale digital projects, including Agile 101, Scrum 101, Azure DevOps 101, and Confluence 101. Delivered websites and web applications for licensing and fee collection and advising on data engineering and data science initiatives. My experience with UK Government Digital Service (GDS), which structured an Agile delivery approach and adhered to the Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) framework found below;
UK Government Digital Service (GDS) structured an Agile delivery approach and adhered to the Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) framework.
I used the UK Government Digital Service (GDS) structured Agile delivery approach in this role and the past, encompassing five key phases: Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live, and Retirement. This methodology ensured that digital services were developed efficiently and met user needs effectively. During the Discovery phase, I focused on understanding user needs and assessing project feasibility. In the Alpha phase, I tested assumptions using prototypes. In the Beta phase, I built and refined the service, followed by launching and continuously improving it in the Live phase. The Retirement phase involved decommissioning or transitioning to new services. For detailed phase information, I referred to the GDS Service Manual.
In my work, actions, and products used in this role and experience from my past roles, I adhered to the Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) framework, which outlines essential standards, roles, and capabilities for effective digital service delivery in government. This includes the Digital Service Standard (DSS) for user-focused, accessible, and secure services, key roles like Product Managers and Delivery Managers, and the Technology Code of Practice for managing technology. It also covers data ethics and security principles and supports continuous professional development. For comprehensive details, I referred to the GOV.UK Digital, Data and Technology Profession Capability Framework.
In my work, I utilised a structured approach to Agile delivery, which is designed to ensure the efficient development of digital services that effectively meet user needs. This approach is broken down into five key phases: Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live, and Retirement. Below, I outline my experiences and the activities involved in each phase.
- 1. Discovery Phase
During the Discovery phase, my main objective was to understand user needs, the problem space, and the feasibility of the proposed service. I conducted various activities, including user research, stakeholder interviews, market analysis, and defining the project scope. The outputs from this phase included research findings, a feasibility report, a clear project scope, and initial user stories. - 2. Alpha Phase
In the Alpha phase, my goal was to test assumptions and explore potential solutions through prototypes. I created and tested these prototypes with users, iterating based on their feedback. This process resulted in working prototypes, validated assumptions, refined user stories, and a technical feasibility report. - 3. Beta Phase
The Beta phase involved building and refining the service based on findings from the Alpha phase. I focused on developing core functionalities, conducting extensive user testing, and monitoring performance. By the end of this phase, I had a fully functional service ready for live deployment, along with valuable user feedback and performance metrics. - 4. Live Phase
During the Live phase, my objective was to launch the service to all users and continuously improve it. Activities included the service launch, ongoing monitoring, collecting user feedback, and making iterative improvements. This phase resulted in a fully operational service with regular updates and performance reports. - 5. Retirement Phase
In the Retirement phase, I planned the decommissioning of the service or transitioned users to a new service. This involved planning the decommissioning process, communicating with users, and providing transition support. The outputs were a decommissioned service, a transition plan, and user support documentation.
UK Government Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) Framework
In addition to my work with the GDS Agile delivery approach, I have also engaged with the Digital, Data, and Technology (DDaT) framework. This framework outlines the standards, roles, and capabilities required to deliver effective digital services across government departments.
- 1. Digital Service Standard (DSS)
The DSS ensures digital services are user-focused, accessible, and secure. It includes guidelines on user research, service design, and agile delivery, which I adhered to in my projects. - 2. Roles and Capabilities
The DDaT framework defines essential roles for digital service delivery, such as Product Managers, Delivery Managers, and User Researchers. I have worked within multidisciplinary teams, ensuring we had the necessary skills to deliver high-quality services. - 3. Technology Code of Practice
This code provides guidelines for designing, building, and managing technology services. I followed these guidelines, encouraging the use of open standards and reusable components in our projects. - 4. Data Ethics and Security
Data ethics and security principles were a key focus in my work, ensuring ethical data use and robust security measures. I adhered to guidelines on data protection and privacy. - 5. Professional Development
The DDaT framework supports continuous learning and professional growth. I took advantage of the frameworks for career progression and skills development, continuously improving my capabilities and staying current with industry best practices.
Agile 101 –
Within my time, I had conducted Agile 101 training sessions. During these sessions, I introduced Agile as a project management and product development approach, emphasising iterative development. This approach allows requirements and solutions to evolve through collaboration among self-organising cross-functional teams.
Here’s what I covered in those sessions:
History of Agile: I provided an overview of the origins of Agile, discussing how it emerged as a response to traditional, rigid project management methodologies. I explained how the Agile Manifesto was created in 2001 by a group of software developers seeking a more flexible, collaborative approach to project management.
- Principles and Values of Agile: I explained the core principles based on the Agile Manifesto, which include:
- Prioritising individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Valuing working software over comprehensive documentation
- Emphasising customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change rather than strictly following a plan
Agile Methodologies: I detailed various frameworks that fall under Agile, such as:
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- Scrum: Highlighted the focus on small, cross-functional teams developing products in iterative cycles known as sprints.
- Kanban: Explained how this method visualises workflow on a board, managing work in progress to improve efficiency.
- Extreme Programming (XP): Discussed its emphasis on technical excellence and good programming practices.
Providing Value to Customers Early: I emphasised the importance of delivering value to customers as early as possible. I explained how Agile practices aim to produce working increments of the product early and often, enabling teams to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments to meet customer needs effectively.
Benefits of Agile: I shared the advantages of adopting Agile, including:
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- Increased flexibility and adaptability
- Enhanced product quality
- Greater customer satisfaction
- Improved team morale and collaboration
Through these training sessions, I have helped teams understand and implement Agile principles and methodologies, leading to more efficient and collaborative project management and ensuring that value is delivered to customers as early as possible.
SCRUM 101
In the past, I have conducted Scrum 101 training sessions. During these sessions, I focused on introducing Scrum as an Agile framework that structures development in cycles of work called sprints, typically lasting 2-4 weeks. Here’s what I covered in those sessions:
Scrum Roles: I explained the key roles within a Scrum team:
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- Product Owner: Responsible for defining the product backlog, prioritising work, and representing the customer.
- Scrum Master: Facilitates the process, helps remove impediments, and ensures adherence to Scrum practices.
- Development Team: Consists of cross-functional team members who execute the tasks in the sprint backlog.
Scrum Artifacts: I detailed the main artefacts used in Scrum:
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- Product Backlog: A dynamic list of features, enhancements, fixes, and technical tasks needed to develop a product.
- Sprint Backlog: A subset of the product backlog items chosen for development in the current sprint.
- Increment: The sum of all the product backlog items completed during a sprint and all previous sprints.
Scrum Events: I described the key events in the Scrum framework:
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- Sprint Planning: A meeting to define the sprint goal and select backlog items for the sprint.
- Daily Scrum: A short, daily meeting for the team to synchronise activities and plan for the next 24 hours.
- Sprint Review: A meeting to showcase the sprint’s work to stakeholders and gather feedback.
- Sprint Retrospective: A meeting for the team to reflect on the sprint and identify improvements.
Using Scrum with Tools: I also discussed how Scrum can be effectively utilised with tools like Jira and Azure DevOps (ADO) Boards:
- Jira: Demonstrated how Jira can be used to manage product and sprint backlogs, create and assign tasks, and track progress through sprint boards and burndown charts.
- Azure DevOps Boards/DevOps: Showed how ADO Boards facilitate Scrum practices by providing features to create user stories, plan sprints, manage backlogs, and monitor sprint progress with various analytics and reporting tools.
Through these training sessions, I have enabled teams to understand and implement Scrum practices effectively, enhancing their project management capabilities and ensuring smooth collaboration and continuous improvement. By integrating Scrum with tools like Azure DevOps (used in present and future roll out to all teams), teams can streamline their workflows and maintain a clear focus on delivering value incrementally.
Azure DevOps 101
I conducted Azure DevOps 101 training sessions. During these sessions, I focused on introducing Azure DevOps as a comprehensive set of development tools provided by Microsoft to support the entire software development lifecycle.
Here’s what I covered in those sessions:
Core Services: I explained the fundamental services within Azure DevOps:
- Azure Repos: Detailed how to use version control systems for managing code effectively.
- Azure Pipelines: Demonstrated the setup and management of continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline automation.
- Azure Boards: This was a significant focus, where I showed how to utilise Agile planning and project management with Kanban boards, backlogs, and dashboards. I elaborated on:
- Work Item Tracking: How to create, track, and manage work items like user stories, tasks, and bugs.
- Kanban Boards: Customising boards to visualise workflow, manage tasks, and ensure smooth progress through various stages.
- Backlogs: Organising and prioritising product and sprint backlogs to ensure the team focuses on the most important tasks.
- Dashboards: Setting up dashboards to provide a real-time view of project metrics, helping teams monitor progress and make data-driven decisions.
- Azure Test Plans: Explained the tools available for planning, executing, and tracking tests.
- Azure Artifacts: Covered package management for handling dependencies.
Key Features: I highlighted the significant features of Azure DevOps:
- Integration: Explained the seamless integration with a wide range of tools and services, including GitHub and Jenkins.
- Scalable and Secure Infrastructure: Discussed how Azure DevOps provides a scalable and secure environment suitable for enterprise-level projects.
- Enhanced Collaboration: Illustrated how integrated tools and services enhance team collaboration.
- Automation Capabilities: Showed how automation can streamline and speed up development processes.
Through these training sessions, I have enabled teams to effectively use Azure DevOps, enhancing their software development practices and ensuring efficient project management. By leveraging Azure DevOps’ comprehensive toolset, especially the detailed capabilities of Azure Boards, teams can achieve better collaboration, streamlined workflows, and robust automation, thereby improving overall productivity and product success.
Proposal for Future Training Sessions: Confluence 101 for Commission Use
Objective: To equip teams within the commission with the skills and knowledge to effectively use Confluence, a powerful collaboration tool developed by Atlassian, for creating, organising, and sharing information.
Training Session Overview
Core Features of Confluence:
- Spaces: Teach participants how to create and manage spaces for individual teams, projects, or departments. Each space acts as a dedicated area for content management.
- Pages: Demonstrate the creation of documents within spaces, incorporating text, images, tables, and other multimedia content to enhance communication.
- Templates: Introduce pre-defined page formats for common uses such as meeting notes, project plans, and requirements documentation, streamlining the content creation process.
- Macros: Explain the use of dynamic tools to enhance page functionality, including embedding Jira issues, creating task lists, and displaying charts for better project tracking and visualisation.
Use Cases for Confluence:
- Documentation: Guide teams on how to create and maintain project documentation, knowledge bases, and technical guides, ensuring all necessary information is easily accessible.
- Collaboration: Enable real-time collaboration among team members, including sharing feedback and tracking changes to ensure up-to-date and accurate information.
- Project Management: Show how to integrate Confluence with Jira for seamless project tracking and reporting, providing a holistic view of project progress.
- Knowledge Management: Centralise company knowledge, policies, and procedures, making it easy for all team members to access and reference important information.
Advantages of Using Confluence:
- Improved Communication and Transparency: Foster better communication within teams by centralising information and making it accessible to all members.
- Centralised Information Repository: Reduce information silos by having a single, centralised repository for all documentation and resources.
- Enhanced Productivity: Provide easy access to necessary documentation and resources, streamlining workflows and increasing efficiency.
- Customisable and Scalable: Ensure Confluence can be tailored to fit the needs of various teams and projects, supporting growth and changing requirements.
Conclusion:
These tools and methodologies play a crucial role in modern software development and project management, promoting efficiency, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Incorporating Confluence 101 into the commission can enhance team performance and project outcomes.
Managed Data Engineering and Data Science Initiatives
Data Collection and Management: I provided advice and instructions on implementing robust systems for collecting and storing data from various sources, ensuring high data quality and integrity. This included guiding teams on setting up pipelines for automated data ingestion and establishing protocols for data validation and cleansing.
Data Analysis: I advised on the utilisation of statistical and machine learning techniques to analyse data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights. For instance, I guided the analysis of gambling patterns, the identification of potential regulatory breaches, and the assessment of the impact of regulatory changes, thereby informing policy decisions and improving regulatory oversight.
Reporting and Visualisation: I provided guidance on creating dashboards and reports to effectively communicate insights to stakeholders. By recommending tools like Power BI and Data Bricks, I ensured that complex data was presented in an accessible and understandable format, facilitating data-driven decision-making across the organisation.
Compliance and Security: I provide advice and guidance that all data practices should comply with relevant regulations, such as GDPR, by providing detailed instructions and best practices. I also advised on the implementation of stringent security measures to protect sensitive information, including encryption, access controls, and regular security audits.
Ensuring Web Content Accessibility (WCAG Compliance) Using Contentful CMS
In ensuring web content accessibility, I have focused on providing advice and instructions to implement the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to make web content more accessible. My specific contributions include:
- WCAG Principles: I advised on adhering to the four principles of WCAG: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). I provided guidance to ensure that all web content met different levels of accessibility (A, AA, AAA) by following specific guidelines and success criteria.
- Contentful CMS: I provided instructions on using Contentful as a content management system to facilitate WCAG compliance by:
- Template Design: Advising on the creation of accessible templates that adhered to WCAG standards, ensuring consistency and accessibility across all web pages.
Content Management: Guiding content creators on how to easily add alt text for images, create accessible forms, and use headings and other structural elements properly, ensuring that all content was accessible. - Plugins and Integrations: Recommending tools and plugins that automatically checked for accessibility issues and guided users in fixing them. This proactive approach helped maintain high accessibility standards.
By providing advice and instructions, I have significantly contributed to enhancing data engineering, data science, and web accessibility practices within the organisations I have worked for.
Outcomes:
Teams changed in ways of embracing Agile / Scrum to provide the best and quickest improved customer value to the product or services, fast time to deployment and reduce inefficiencies and defects (Scrum and DevOps), lean and accessible processes, User Journeys and service standards established, effective risk management and problem-solving capabilities within the team, tools and standards for web content accessibility (WCAG Compliance)
Specific Technologies:
Experienced with Azure Cloud, VMs, Blob, Disk and File Storage, Azure Batch, Azure Functions, App Batch, Azure SQL Databases, Azure SQL Managed Instances, VPN Gateways, Load Balancers, Data Bricks, Power BI, Azure DevOps, GitHub, Visual Studio, and Contentful CMS.
Team Sizes:
Managed multidisciplinary teams of up to 40 members, fostering effective communication and collaboration to meet the objectives of new ways of working and drive value to the products or customers.
Standard Examples used:
DACI Decision-Making Framework
