Transforming Engineering at Pace: The New MoJ Technology Radar
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) recently partnered with me for a whirlwind five-week sprint to redefine their technical landscape. The goal? Move the Technology Radar from a static document to a living, data-driven ecosystem.
As Tom Jenkins, MoJ Delivery Manager for the Office of the CTO, put it:
““A great piece of work, showing we can take product and user-centred approaches to almost anything. All done at such pace with a great output. Love it.””
Why a New Tech Radar?
Before this sprint, their technical guidance was fragmented. Different departments like HMPPS, OPG, and LAA operated in silos, each with their own maturity levels and tooling preferences. This "governance vacuum" led to duplicated efforts and "Wild West" engineering practices.
We needed a single source of truth to align standards, reduce risk, and speed up developer onboarding.
Our Product-Led Approach
We didn't just build a list of tools; we built a product based on user needs.
1. Stakeholder-Driven Insights
We conducted four deep-dive workshops—one for each radar quadrant—to debate "Blip" placements and find common ground across agencies.
Tools: Standardising on GitHub Actions while phasing out CircleCI and Concourse.
Languages: Navigating a landscape where Kotlin, Java, and TypeScript dominate new builds, while Ruby moves to a "Hold" status due to recruitment challenges.
Methods: Finding high alignment on Agile, TDD, and DevOps cultures.
Platforms: Clarifying the use of AWS services andGov.UK shared enablers like Notify and Pay.
2. Adopting the AOE Framework
Moving away from traditional models, we adopted the AOE (Adopt/Open/Explore) framework. This aligns us with wider Cross-Gov communities and focuses on actionable readiness rather than just observation.
3. Radar-as-Code
To ensure the radar stays relevant, we implemented a GitHub-native workflow. Changes are proposed via Pull Requests and debated in GitHub Discussions, creating a transparent, version-controlled audit trail for every technical choice.
The Vision: A Unified Developer Experience
Inspired by the "Gold Standard" of the Singapore Government Developer Portal, the long-term vision is a unified hub where documentation, standards, and self-service provisioning meet.
Key Recommendations for the Future:
Establish Formal Governance: A dedicated team to own the roadmap and strategic alignment.
Continuous Improvement: Moving to a six-monthly review cycle led by agency Tech Leads.
Context is King: Overhauling item descriptions to provide specific Justice-sector rationale for every technology.
What’s Next?
The Tech Radar is now live and deployable. By integrating "Org/Agency" tagging, we’ve ensured that while the view is unified, teams like HMPPS or OPG can still filter for the data most relevant to them.
This isn't just a technical document, it's a recruitment asset, a security baseline, and a roadmap for the future of Justice Digital
