Department for Education (Get help with tech programme)
The Disconnect
Remote education for 1.95 million kids amidst the Covid pandemic.
Meet Rachel Hope. Former Programme Director at the Department for Education (DFE); a government organisation set up to help children reach their full potential.
When the Covid pandemic hit in 2020, school closures threatened the education system and with it, children’s ability to learn. And remote education quickly went from a futuristic notion to a disconcerting reality.
The DfE quickly realised that millions of children and households couldn’t access a laptop or the internet; two things that would be critical to the successful delivery of remote education and social care.
So, as the Prime Minister prepared to announce that schools were due to close for an indeterminate amount of time, the DfE set up the ‘Get help with tech’ programme to deliver laptops and internet access to disadvantaged and vulnerable children.
Issuing technology and hardware on such an unprecedented scale (and at pace) had never been attempted before. With a mounting list of problems to solve, Rachel needed a delivery partner she could trust to make it happen.
The Fix
When Rachel got in touch, we knew we had to act fast, working hand-in-hand with Rachel’s team, to manage a complicated web of tech suppliers, logistics and commercials.
Each school had a different operating system, different laptop brands and a differing level of in-house technical skill, so a job-lot of laptops wasn’t feasible. The hardware and software had to match each school’s needs and software needed to be pre-loaded and secured appropriately to safeguard children.
We began by building an ordering portal for schools to accommodate children’s needs and the school’s chosen operating system and hardware. Then we tackled internet access. Some families didn’t have internet access or lacked data for tethering. So we negotiated with UK major network operators for additional data for families in need.
Then came the logistical challenges. At a time when there was a worldwide demand for laptops, we had to figure out how to physically deliver 1.95 million laptops. We worked closely with the Home Office and Border Force and the Secretary of State to get laptops fast-tracked through customs.
How we help get your project unstuck
Our guiding principles and values:
Reviewed and consulted on the business case and developed the cost model for HM Treasury approval (£450m of public spend)
Lead on strategic and operational delivery of technology, logistics and supply chain for the entire programme
Negotiated commercials and contracts on behalf of the DfE
Designed and implemented IT architecture, software and scripts to minimise device build time (reduced build time from 45 minutes to 18 minutes per device)
Devised a device build that was locked down for safety but also flexible enough for children to do what they needed to do and could be managed remotely whilst protecting user anonymity
Built a virtual test bench (and wrote the code) to enable fast changes (11,000 devices being built per day based on our code)
Worked with manufacturers, resellers, OS providers and global logistics companies to solve complex technical and delivery problems (senior members of Dell, Microsoft, Apple, Google, HP and Samsung)
Solved technical issues on a fleet of 400,000 safeguarded laptops and tablets
The Output
As a result of working with Swift Strategies, Rachel and the Get help with Tech programme succeeded in delivering 1.95 million laptops to disadvantaged children and families across the UK, enabling critical access to remote education and social care during the pandemic.
The remarkably accurate laptop specs ensured robust procurement decisions that helped to safeguard the needs of millions of children.
And Rachel was named one of the top most 50 influential people globally during the pandemic.
The DfE is now in a strong position to meet ongoing remote education and social care needs to ensure that children can achieve their full potential.
Have a digital or tech project that seems impossible? We can help you deliver, at pace.
Email us on info@swiftstrategies.co.uk or call us on 020 4576 0275.