But paying for a government that is highly inefficient, and duplicative, at times, is an expensive luxury. One the budget figures say we can’t afford.

So it sounds like now is the time to attack the complexity, take it seriously and dedicate adequate resources to it. To work, this solution needs to involve an overhaul in the business of government and a serious citizen focus (from the strategy all the way out to the UX design). There are a lot of potential pitfalls and each must be carefully addressed for such significant changes to be implemented and carry on delivering government services. Otherwise, as you have so eloquently described, this project will go down the route of those predecessors.

We have a stronger motivation this time (those budgetary and economic concerns – our deficit isn’t sustainable), and I’m hoping that means that the project will be taken seriously. I still (thus far) think this CAN be done. I just hope we’ll have the right group in place to do it. I can’t agree with you more on the intricacy and complexity of this challenge.

I think a lot of what you write above holds internally (i.e. an organisation’s relationship with its staff) as well as externally (i.e. an organisation’s relationship with its ‘clients’). I’m struck at work in general by how simple everyone thinks everything is – even from issuing annual leave forms, starting a staff suggestions box, ensuring documents/materials are available in alternative formats – when the reality of implementing this stuff is much harder.

For me, being a manager is therefore recognising the complicated nature of all this stuff and enabling staff to work to overcome it. We may be able to anticipate 25% of the terrain we’ll need to navigate, but the remaining 75% will need to be somewhat reactive once we know the real problems that come up.

If that’s right, then the implications for determining a technological solution – which I think needs 75% sure up front, 25% to be tweaked after – are not too fun.

You’re right too to ask about the nature of ‘personalisation’ that’s at stake. There’s a risk of disappearing into a rabbit warren of authentication systems, and lose sight of the bigger picture.

I’ve not seen the research for a while, but here’s my gut feel: people don’t necessarily want ‘personalised’ services; they want easy to access, ease to use services.

I don’t mind logging into Amazon with one set of details, and into PayPal with another. I don’t expect the private sector half of the economy to join that stuff up, and I’d be sceptical if they claimed to. But if registering to buy a book takes me more than 30 seconds, I’ll be grumpy; if it takes me more than a couple of minutes to pay for something the first time with PayPal, ditto. But my bank account is another matter – the four screens of details I have to work through to check my balance is a good nuisance, to me at least. Probably ditto for my tax and health information, were they both to be online. But not for renewing a library book, getting a newsletter about training, getting help with a new business, or buying my car tax disc.

There are a few challenges here, then:

- making transactions easy to accomplish, like buying a book from Amazon
- developing authentication & identity management systems which fit the nature of the task and expectations of privacy (and don’t err on the side of caution, just because)
- making transactions easy to find, so I know where to start and who’s responsible for administering Tax X or Service Y these days

I don’t underestimate the complexity of the hidden wiring behind achieving this, which is one reason why I’m so impressed every year when I renew my car tax online (three cheers DVLA, IBM & Directgov). But I think there’s an opportunity for a simpler approach to delivering public services online in a way which satisfies users:

1. Think less about the ‘single account’ and more about the single place to start. We have those: Directgov and Business Link.

2. Think less about an identity management system, and more about usable online account management. One account for my taxes, one for my business, one for my health, one for my council – that’s still just about OK, as long as they match my expectations of the privacy and security behind them. Only ask me for the information you need.

3. Make the supersites into very simple customisable portals. That sounds shockingly old-school, but I think it’s what would deliver the greatest benefit. Let me tell you a little bit about my lifestyle (like, 10 questions max) and give me a cut of the stuff that’s helpful. No car? Don’t show me the motoring stuff. Live in Scotland? Show me what’s a Scottish service, and what’s UK-wide, plus a widget of good stuff from my local council. Got kids? Show me the health/money/activities info that’s right for their ages in my area. Above all, keep the questions simple, and show me why it’s worth me 20 seconds to tick some boxes.

That’s a workable, deliverable MyGov, from where I’m sitting. 10 straightforward questions, a clear explanation of why you’re asking and what I’ll get back, a page that looks a bit like Netvibes, and a bookmark in my favourites. A user account I can stay logged into for months at a time, only having to enter more sophisticated authentication info when I’m entering my tax details or talking to someone official about my sexual history.

Does that make me a White Knight?