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DWP exploring use of robotics

Ros
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editor, rightsnet.org.uk

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Public Technology reports that -

‘The DWP has issued an early engagement notice outlining that its Intelligent Automation Garage (IAG) unit wishes to talk to companies that “are currently offering their services in developing robotic solutions utilising robotic processing automation, virtual assistants, chatbots, [and] machine learning”.

Founded in 2017 and based across the DWP’s Manchester and Newcastle sites, the IAG serves as the department’s “in-house robotics centre”.
“[It] is a collaborative working space where fast-paced, business-led, innovative software development happens using agile and design-led practices”, the DWP said.

The goal of the unit is to develop standardised governance and best practice for uses of automation, and to work with various tech manufacturers to “minimise costs and follow a best-of-breed approach”. The IAG will also undertake automation-based projects in tandem with commercial partners – based on a 60/40 split of resources and workload.’

DWP looks to robotics

past caring
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Welfare Rights Adviser - Southwark Law Centre, Peckham

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I’m not sure your decision is correct - *silence*.
Hello - did you hear me? - *silence*
Hello I’d like to request a mandatory reconsideration - *Exterminate*

Rehousing Advice.
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“The goal of the unit is to develop standardised governance and best practice for uses of automation, and to work with various tech manufacturers to “minimise costs and follow a best-of-breed approach”.

Oh no, it looks like more Ruff Justice is being planned by the DWP.

nevip
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ros - 01 February 2019 12:26 PM

Public Technology reports that -

‘The DWP has issued an early engagement notice outlining that its Intelligent Automation Garage (IAG) unit wishes to talk to companies that “are currently offering their services in developing robotic solutions utilising robotic processing automation, virtual assistants, chatbots, [and] machine learning”.

Founded in 2017 and based across the DWP’s Manchester and Newcastle sites, the IAG serves as the department’s “in-house robotics centre”.
“[It] is a collaborative working space where fast-paced, business-led, innovative software development happens using agile and design-led practices”, the DWP said.

The goal of the unit is to develop standardised governance and best practice for uses of automation, and to work with various tech manufacturers to “minimise costs and follow a best-of-breed approach”. The IAG will also undertake automation-based projects in tandem with commercial partners – based on a 60/40 split of resources and workload.’

DWP looks to robotics

Did the Plain English campaign’s gobbledegook generator produce that?

HB Anorak
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I feel sorry for the person who provided that DWP quote.  I know what it’s like, I’ve worked in places where they had management consultants in.  You look enviously at the flash motor they have parked outside - and come to think of it, how come you don’t get a parking space?  What’s so special about Mr Fast-Paced, Business-Led Pants?  Spend all day going to meetings and writing reports full of meaningless management jargon like “agile and design led”.  Well anyone can do that, in fact I’m going to do it.  I’m going to knock out a press release full of clever sounding management b%&£$ocks and I am going to GET NOTICED!  I want a management consultant job too!

I truly understand, but you cannot pull it off.  You are a middle ranking civil servant, you’re not Richard Branson.  The look doesn’t suit you.  You need to heed the wise words of Avril Lavigne:

“Why do you have to make things so complicated?
See, the way you’re acting like somebody else makes me frustrated

You’re trying to be cool, but you look like a fool to me”.

nevip
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HB Anorak - 02 February 2019 10:37 AM

I feel sorry for the person who provided that DWP quote.  I know what it’s like, I’ve worked in places where they had management consultants in.  You look enviously at the flash motor they have parked outside - and come to think of it, how come you don’t get a parking space?  What’s so special about Mr Fast-Paced, Business-Led Pants?  Spend all day going to meetings and writing reports full of meaningless management jargon like “agile and design led”.  Well anyone can do that, in fact I’m going to do it.  I’m going to knock out a press release full of clever sounding management b%&£$ocks and I am going to GET NOTICED!  I want a management consultant job too!

I truly understand, but you cannot pull it off.  You are a middle ranking civil servant, you’re not Richard Branson.  The look doesn’t suit you.  You need to heed the wise words of Avril Lavigne:

“Why do you have to make things so complicated?
See, the way you’re acting like somebody else makes me frustrated

You’re trying to be cool, but you look like a fool to me”.

Chortle.

I am but one step away from turning homicidal every time I hear someone at work say “going forward” or some other such nonsense.

 

andyrichards
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When someone at DWP suggests starting the UC managed migration, hopefully the robot will say “I’m sorry Dave; I can’t let you do that…..”

Mike Hughes
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nevip - 02 February 2019 05:54 PM
HB Anorak - 02 February 2019 10:37 AM

I feel sorry for the person who provided that DWP quote.  I know what it’s like, I’ve worked in places where they had management consultants in.  You look enviously at the flash motor they have parked outside - and come to think of it, how come you don’t get a parking space?  What’s so special about Mr Fast-Paced, Business-Led Pants?  Spend all day going to meetings and writing reports full of meaningless management jargon like “agile and design led”.  Well anyone can do that, in fact I’m going to do it.  I’m going to knock out a press release full of clever sounding management b%&£$ocks and I am going to GET NOTICED!  I want a management consultant job too!

I truly understand, but you cannot pull it off.  You are a middle ranking civil servant, you’re not Richard Branson.  The look doesn’t suit you.  You need to heed the wise words of Avril Lavigne:

“Why do you have to make things so complicated?
See, the way you’re acting like somebody else makes me frustrated

You’re trying to be cool, but you look like a fool to me”.

Chortle.

I am but one step away from turning homicidal every time I hear someone at work say “going forward” or some other such nonsense.

 

Spent some years fighting the language of cuts such as sentences that begin with the word “Guys…”. The obvious implication of such things being that “we” are in no way different to “them” and thus on the same side etc.  It was grossly offensive; clever and utterly wearying. I am now struggling to get through a working week without at least one colleague non-ironically using that exact same word. I may joke about it in response but I simply don’t have the energy to explain at length why it’s so offensive.

I actually had no issue deciphering the press release and think you should all take a crash course and get “up to speed”.  There are some concerning aspects of it and some positive things. Machine learning is of course no such thing for example. It relies on a human saying “Yes, that’s right oh “best of breed”” or “No, that one’s wrong”. An organisation that never managed above 66% accuracy on decision making over 50 years and decided that the best solution to that would be to simply stop producing the statistics should not be let near machine learning. An organisation who cannot produce simple guidance for decision makers which reflects what the law says as opposed to what they want or imagine it to say… well, equally so.

The whole “in tandem” approach is depressing too. They tried it with UC IT and some related matters and “it ended in tears” is perhaps the best gloss we can put on that.

That said, quoting Avril Lavigne lyrics is a new low too :)

Gareth Morgan
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Look guys, going forward, if we don’t leverage our learnings in an experiential mode, how can we prognosticate our breeed-best synergies for a win-win environment? Surely that’s obvious?

I did some work in the 1980s, on artificial intelligence analysis of legislation, and, for UK legislation, the drafting structures mean that it doesn’t work; or at least it needs too much manual and traditional code to be inserted to make it workable.  The hope was that changing the way in which law is written would make it feasible.  Have a look at how long the tax law rewrite project has been going and what it’s achieved to see how that’s going.

Mike Hughes
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Anybody watch 2012 and especially the subsequent W1A?

nevip
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“Look guys, going forward, if we don’t leverage our learnings in an experiential mode, how can we prognosticate our breeed-best synergies for a win-win environment? Surely that’s obvious?”

Lol!

Eat my shorts.

Stuart
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More on the ‘intelligent automation garage’ from The Guardian today ...

The Department for Work and Pensions has hired nearly 1,000 new IT staff in the past 18 months, and has increased spending to about £8m a year on a specialist “intelligent automation garage” where computer scientists are developing over 100 welfare robots, deep learning and intelligent automation for use in the welfare system.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/oct/14/fears-rise-in-benefits-system-automation-could-plunge-claimants-deeper-into-poverty

Ianb
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When I saw that article I read it as ‘intelligent automation garbage’!

shawn mach
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New FOI response says no robots are ‘currently’ assisting ‘directly’ with DWP decision making processes:

There are no RPA processes currently running in the Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance areas. In the Personal Independence Payment area there are currently 2 live RPA processes, the number of robots allocated and working on each change on a daily basis as per case volumes and demand. No ‘robots’ assist directly with decision making processes currently in DWP.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/intelligent_automation_2
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/709409/response/1706857/attach/html/3/FOI2020%2084151%20reply.pdf.html

 

Mike Hughes
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I suspect most of us would argue there are plenty of robots directly involved in these processes in a slightly different sense.

Paul Stockton
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Attached is a photograph of the Intelligent Automation Garage in action

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iag.jpg

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