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Demystifying Low Code Panel: X-Gov Community Leaders Explore Opportunities and Share Lessons

Earlier this year, public sector professionals joined our virtual panel, Demystifying Low Code: Lessons from the Founders of the X-Gov Community, to explore how low code platforms are transforming government services. Featuring leaders from Office National Statistics (ONS), Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), and Hitachi Solutions, the conversation revealed the real impact of low code across departments and what’s next for the movement.

 

Chair: Jack Nutkins, Head of Power Platform, Hitachi Solutions

Panellists:

  • Diane Washbrook – Delivery Manager, ONS
  • Ozair Ishan – Senior Technical Architect, MoJ
  • Emma-Claire Shaw – Lead Service Owner – Power Platform, Defra

Why Low Code, Why Now?

Low code isn’t new, but its adoption in UK central government is accelerating. Emma-Claire Shaw from Defra pointed to the private sector trend, noting Gartner’s prediction that 70% of enterprise applications will be built using low code by 2025. For government, this shift is not just about speed – it’s about modernising legacy systems, closing digital skills gaps, and empowering people closest to the problems to be part of the solution.

Diane Washbrook (ONS) and Ozair Ishan (MoJ) echoed this urgency, sharing how low code is helping departments automate admin-heavy processes, migrate from outdated tools, and increase productivity across the board.

 

Building a Movement: The X-Gov Low Code Community

The panellists are co-founders of the cross-government low code community, a group of 600+ members from over 100 organisations. What began as grassroots Slack groups has grown into a recognised forum for sharing knowledge, shaping governance, and supporting new citizen developers. As Diane explained, the community was born out of necessity: “We were learning everything from the ground up. We knew we couldn’t be the only ones.”

That community-first approach is now setting the standard for how government departments can safely and effectively adopt low code tools.

See more and join the community here: https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/communities/low-code-community.

 

Risks, Governance & “Shadow IT”

One myth the panel was keen to bust? That low code increases shadow IT risk. As Emma shared, “With Power Platform, because it’s all within your 365 tenant, you can see exactly what’s happening – what connectors are being used, what data is involved. It’s not shadow IT. It’s the solution to shadow IT.”

The key is what Emma calls “adaptive governance”, a model that flexes based on the risk and scale of what’s being built. Defra, for example, allows business users to build solutions up to a certain threshold, with IT stepping in only when needed. It’s a scalable, pragmatic approach that empowers innovation without compromising security.

 

Real Productivity Gains

Defra’s in-house tracking tools are now helping teams understand where low code is creating value. The data shows that business-built flows are releasing the equivalent capacity of around sixteen full-time staff each year, time that is redirected towards analysis, service improvement, and frontline priorities. In some cases, AI-supported flows have taken on routine administration entirely.

Beyond hard metrics, Diane highlighted another form of ROI – return on employee: “That first build might not save a lot of time, but it gives someone digital confidence. It turns them into a maker.”

 

AI, Agents & What’s Next

The panel also discussed how low code is paving the way for AI adoption in government. Tools like Power Platform’s AI Builder and Copilot Studio are already being trialled across departments to automate sentiment analysis, streamline onboarding, and personalise learning recommendations.

But, as Ozair cautioned, AI success relies on good foundations: “Automation and clean data must come first. You can’t just bolt AI on top of messy systems.”

 

Explore Low Code for Your Organisation

Following on from this virtual panel, digital and delivery leaders from across government came together with our panellists for Demystifying Low Code: Managing Risks and Leveraging Opportunities, a joint workshop hosted by the Low Code Community of Practice, Hitachi Solutions and Government Transformation Magazine.

 

Below, you can read more about the workshop or get in touch:

  • Explore key findings from the Workshop: Explore the key findings from the Cross-Government Low Code Workshop: Opportunities, Risks, Myths and Success Stories
  • Join the Low Code Community: The cross-government Low Code Community of Practice offers peer support, shared lessons, and practical resources.
  • Explore a funded low code discovery: Hitachi Solutions offers a Power Platform Envisioning engagement helping organisations turn identified opportunities into co-designed minimum viable products that prove impact quickly. See if there could be Microsoft funding available for your organisation by getting in touch