Digital, Data, Technology & Cyber

DDaT and Cyber Fast Streamers operate across the whole UK Civil Service. On scheme you'll have the chance to develop your leadership and management while developing skills and experience through a number of postings. During your postings, Fast Streamers will work in one of the four pillars;

Digital - Delivering a variety of digital services that transforms the way government engages with the public

Data - Using data resources to identify and solve complex problems, ensuring any data is treated in a secure and ethical way

Technology - Supporting government departments with the design and implementation of technology solutions

Cyber - Protecting information systems, the data on them and the services they provide, from unauthorised access, harm or misuse

The work of DDaT and Cyber across government is diverse, working on services that are used by millions of people every day. Services such as register to vote, apply for a driving licence or apply for a UK passport. Your experiences will be equally diverse, with the opportunity of working in a wide range of government departments or agencies.

You may be:

• setting direction and leading teams responsible for the detection and response to cyber incidents and the technology and processes required to keep pace with the evolving cyber threat
• gathering and analysing data, including user research
• product managing a new feature or improvements to an existing government service
• project managing an IT system upgrade
• building web services and creating content for websites
• advising ministers and senior management on DDaT and cyber strategy and policies
• performing detailed reviews of digital services in order to provide security assurance and prevent and mitigate against potential cyber risks

You will have the opportunity to make government services even more secure, easy to use, increasingly relevant and optimised for the evolving needs of our users and protect the systems and citizens’ data. This is your chance to be involved in some of the most innovative e-government projects in the world and to make a difference.

Some of the projects our fast streamers have worked on have included:

• supporting the Department of Education with the rollout of over 1.3m laptops to disadvantaged young people, to ensure they will able to continue to learn at home during Covid
• working on a new payment system for prisons to ensure family and friends could send money securely to prisoners
• supporting the work on the Covid Test and Trace system to enable contact with people who had been in contact with an infectious person

No two projects are the same as each department has different needs, but you will experience lots of support while you are in your placement, with the opportunity to lead on projects and provide valuable input.

You’ll have the opportunity to engage with senior stakeholders both inside and outside of government from day one. Each posting will allow you to build on your core skills in DDaT and cyber. No two pillars will share the same career path but will give you the opportunity to develop to be future leaders.

Promotion and successful completion of the scheme will see you earn around £45k to £55k in your first role after the Fast Stream. The scheme is designed so that, wherever you find yourself working in government beyond the DDaT and Cyber Fast Stream scheme, you will have the skills and experience that allow you to be a professional leader within government.

During the 3 year scheme, Cyber Fast Streamers may undergo a higher level of security clearance ‘Developed Vetting’. Please see a demystifying blog post from a current DV cleared civil servant and our Vetting Charter to learn more about what to expect.