# Gordon Guthrie Gordon Guthrie is a technologist, policy expert, and former political candidate focused on reforming how governments design digital systems. **Online **: https://digitalpolicy.substack.com/ **Organization**: Research Fellow on the First Minister's Digital Fellowship Programme (Scottish Government) **Location**: Edinburgh, Scotland --- ## Entries ### First Minister's Digital Fellowship Programme On November 18, 2024, Gordon Guthrie formally launched [Foundations of the Digital State](https://foundationsofthedigitalstate.com/), the culmination of his 18-month research fellowship with the [Scottish Government's First Minister's Digital Fellowship Program](https://www.gov.scot/policies/digital/digital-data-technology-profession/#:~:text=Digital%20Fellowship%20Programme,bringing%20external%20skills%20and%20insight.). The report ([here is the executive summary](https://blogs.gov.scot/digital/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2024/11/Foundations-of-the-Digital-State-%E2%80%93-Independent-research-report-1.pdf)) provides a detailed analysis of why 73% of major government digital transformation projects fail. It draws on case studies from 12 countries and interviews with 84 policymakers and technologists. At its core, the document reveals how traditional legislative processes, with timelines of two to five years, clash fundamentally with agile tech development cycles, which require weekly iterations. Guthrie's research revealed that, although laws meticulously define policy outcomes ("what"), they consistently omit technical specifications ("how"), creating what he terms "legislative debt" that plagues government IT systems from the beginning. The report's 26 recommendations establish a new governance framework for digital lawmaking. Key proposals include establishing a Digital Standards Authority (a permanent government body to maintain technical specifications) and a Parliamentary Digital Scrutiny Office (to vet legislation for digital feasibility). Perhaps the most revolutionary suggestion is the "Digital Readiness Assessment," a mandatory checklist requiring all new bills to specify the following four items: 1) API requirements, 2) data interoperability standards, 3) user testing protocols, and 4) iterative development budgets — before parliamentary debate. The report introduces the "Gearbox Government" model, which is a way to redesign the lawmaking process to keep up with fast-moving technology. It includes detailed transition mechanisms that synchronize Westminster's traditional five-year legislative cycles with the Scottish Government's six-month digital sprints.