Public Digital

A London-headquartered digital transformation consultancy set up in 2015 by former UK Government Digital Service leaders, including Mike Bracken.

About Public Digital

Public Digital is a digital transformation consultancy. That means it helps big organisations, such as governments, councils, charities and companies, change how they work so that they can run online services well, make better use of data and technology, and respond faster when things change. Its own website lists services including digital strategy, service design (designing services around what users need), data strategy, operating model design, AI consulting, cyber security, digital capability building and executive development.

It was set up in 2015 by Mike Bracken, who had led the UK Government Digital Service (GDS), together with former colleagues Tom Loosemore, Russell Davies and Ben Terrett. At launch they said they wanted to help governments outside the UK start again with a digital approach to services and to improve how citizens engage with them. Its head office is at 262 High Holborn, London, and it says it has worked across the UK since 2017. Its UK page says it helped found the GDS leadership team. It is a member of the kyu Collective, a group of companies working together.

Its careers page says its mission is to help global institutions "thrive in the internet era", and it describes advising companies and governments across six continents. On the main site it links to pages called Our positions (values expressed through action) and Our definition of digital, but we did not find a separate formal mission statement.

Client stories on its website include UK organisations such as the Cabinet Office, Defra (testing and learning to create new services), the Home Office (moving from one-off programmes to lasting services), UK Parliament (a flexible operating model for digital and data), the NHS, Nottinghamshire County Council, the Open University, BT Group, Phoenix Group and the Premier League. Overseas it lists work with the governments or public bodies of Barbados, Edo State in Nigeria, Madagascar, Maipu in Chile and Nova Scotia in Canada. It publishes blogs, podcasts, a monthly newsletter and reports such as Digital Sovereignty: The Power to Decide.

Public Digital is a small specialist firm, so there is no large graduate scheme. The only early-careers route we found is a paid consulting internship in Global Digital Development: an eight-week hybrid placement (London office and remote) paying £6,000 in total, open to undergraduate and master's students graduating in December 2024 or later, with a 23 June 2024 start (as at 2024, so likely out of date). Interns work on one or two projects, doing research, analysis, organising workshops and drafting reports and blog posts, with mentoring-style learning. Prior work experience was preferred. Check its careers page for current openings.

What they do

• {'desc': 'Helping organisations plan and design online services around what users need.', 'title': 'Digital strategy and service design'}
• {'desc': 'Changing how teams are organised and building digital skills, including coaching senior leaders.', 'title': 'Operating model and capability building'}
• {'desc': 'Data strategy, AI consulting, cyber security and technology reviews.', 'title': 'Data, AI and technology advice'}
• {'desc': 'Working with central and local government and public bodies in the UK and abroad.', 'title': 'Digital government'}

Key facts

• Set up 2015 by Mike Bracken, Tom Loosemore, Russell Davies and Ben Terrett
• Head office: 262 High Holborn, London; working in the UK since 2017 (own page)
• Advises organisations on six continents (own careers page)
• Internship listed in 2024: eight weeks, hybrid, £6,000 (may be out of date)

Website: public.digital