Transforming public services with Low-Code: lessons from Defra and ONS

Low-code platforms are revolutionising public sector IT, enabling faster digital transformation while fostering innovation and collaboration.
Diane Washbrook, Delivery Manager at Office for National Statistics, formerly at Defra, and Emma Claire Shaw, Service Owner for Microsoft Power Platform at Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) both bring unique insights into how low-code technology can solve complex challenges, improve operational efficiency, and empower staff across government departments.
Defra’s Low-Code journey
Emma Claire Shaw began Defra’s low-code journey in 2018 with a pilot of Power Apps. “Defra has a lot of enthusiastic scientists who were keen to innovate and automate processes,” Emma explains. “They didn’t need much encouragement to adopt Power Platform, which proved perfect for many of our business use cases.”
By 2022, Emma was leading a team to scale the Power Platform across Defra, building a self-service ethos that empowers staff to create their own solutions. Defra’s low-code success includes over 40 enterprise solutions, such as the “Check Fishing Licences” app used by Environment Agency Enforcement Officers.
This app replaced a cumbersome process of contacting a call centre with real-time access to data via mobile devices, significantly improving efficiency and user experience. “The Power Platform helps address both high-profile projects and smaller business-led solutions,” Emma notes.“It’s particularly effective for tackling legacy IT challenges, enabling us to modernise systems while maintaining visibility through Microsoft’s Centre of Excellence Starter Kit.” The platform’s ability to enable rapid prototyping has also encouraged Defra to develop innovative tools for case and task management, expanding its functionality into fieldwork applications.
Balancing innovation with safety
Governance has been a cornerstone of Defra’s approach. Emma’s adaptive governance model addresses concerns around data sensitivity, business-critical solutions, and user scaling.
“We devised a model that balances innovation with safety,” Emma says. “A self-service ethos makes the technology accessible, while automated compliance checks ensure alignment with our rules.”
Diane's experience also highlights the importance of working within clear guardrails. At ONS, she led a “software factory” approach to migrate over 20 legacy applications to Power Apps.
“We created a standard build with agreed patterns for UI design, data connectors, and components,” Diane explains. “This approach allowed us to work quickly through our backlog while building uniform, supportable apps.” Diane’s focus on repeatability ensured that new applications could be built quickly while maintaining compliance with the organisation’s governance framework.
Defra’s governance model has become a benchmark for other government departments. By sharing best practices through communities like the X-Gov Low Code Community, organisations across the public sector are adopting similar models to manage risks while empowering citizen developers.
Creating a culture of enablement
Both Diane and Emma emphasise the importance of community in scaling low-code solutions. Defra’s Community of Practice, with over 800 members, provides a collaborative space for staff to share knowledge, build digital skills, and inspire innovation. “We encourage staff to share their work at community meetings, no matter how small,” Diane says. “It creates a supportive environment and fosters a culture of re-use.”
Externally, the X-Gov Low Code Community, co-founded by Diane and Ozair Ishan enables cross-departmental collaboration. “We’ve had productive conversations with the Home Office and DWP, as well as external organisations like Network Rail and Manchester Airport Group,” Diane shares. “By sharing best practices, we address shared challenges and drive innovation across the public sector.”
Defra has also built relationships with technology leaders such as Microsoft to remain at the forefront of low-code advancements. Regular participation in industry events helps Defra’s team stay informed about emerging trends and tools.
Scaling Low-Code solutions
Emma underscores the importance of engaging stakeholders at every stage. “Low-code adoption impacts everyone, from senior leaders to field workers,” she says. “Clear, open, and continuous communication is vital to addressing assumptions and concerns.” Defra’s Power Platform Hub on SharePoint serves as a single source of truth, containing standards, policies, and guidance to streamline access to information.
Diane adds that reusability is key to scaling. “At ONS, we created a component library to implement standard builds,” she recalls. “This approach maximises efficiency and allows us to support applications more uniformly.”
One critical lesson from both leaders is the value of fostering a culture of experimentation. By encouraging staff to use Power Platform for personal productivity solutions, Defra has created a safe environment for employees to develop their skills while addressing everyday inefficiencies. These efforts ensure that innovation is not limited to IT teams but becomes an organisational capability.
The future of Low-Code in government
The next phase of low-code adoption focuses on creating a culture of enablement: “Instead of IT teams building all the apps, we aim to provide tools and support so everyone can safely build solutions,” Emma explains. “Our goal is for Power Platform skills to become as common as PowerPoint or Excel knowledge.”
Diane sees potential for AI co-pilots to transform low-code development. “AI will be a game-changer,” she says. “Governance will need to evolve to address security and ethical concerns, but the productivity gains will be significant.”
Defra is also looking to strengthen its benefits tracking framework to better quantify the impact of low-code adoption. This includes measuring efficiency gains, user satisfaction, and the reduction of shadow IT. By aligning these metrics with organisational goals, Defra aims to demonstrate the strategic value of its low-code initiatives.
As Diane and Emma’s work demonstrates, low-code adoption is not just about technology; it’s about creating a culture that empowers individuals, promotes collaboration, and delivers tangible value to citizens. With the right strategy, low-code can redefine how government services are delivered in the digital age.
