Many public sector services today run on platforms such as Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services. They’re trusted, secure, and familiar. But how those services are built and managed still varies widely. Some teams use automated, repeatable methods while others may rely on manual setup or have adopted automation but are tied to vendor specific solutions that can be difficult to maintain or hand over.
When engaging with teams we often try and encourage the adoption of more robust solutions—ones that help teams deliver more resilient, transparent, and adaptable infrastructure from the outset.
This approach is called Infrastructure as Code (IaC), while the term might sound technical, the principle is straightforward: define your infrastructure using code so that it’s version-controlled, testable, and easier to reuse or improve over time.
Often, IaC is seen as something to think about only if you plan to switch providers. But really, it’s about raising the baseline—supporting better governance, easier collaboration, and more robust platforms that serve the public effectively.
Adopting Infrastructure as Code brings a number of practical benefits that align with the Technology Code of Practice and Service Standard.
By describing infrastructure in code, you create a clear, reviewable record of how environments are configured. This means changes can be tested, tracked, and approved through code review—not made manually in a live environment.
It also supports compliance work. Teams can show how security groups are defined, how access is managed, and how different environments stay consistent—without relying on screenshots, outdated documentation or an individuals memory.
When infrastructure is built through repeatable code, it becomes much easier to hand over at the end of a contract. Teams can share a repository, not just a Word document, and new suppliers can get started more quickly—with less risk and less cost.
This supports the principle of encouraging competition and reuse—making it easier for multiple suppliers to work together and for teams to switch when needed.
Teams can create reusable modules—networking, storage, access control—that follow best practice and can be adopted across other services or departments. This aligns with the Service Standard’s recommendation to use common components and avoid duplication.
These modules can be shared and improved across government, supporting consistency, reducing duplication, and helping teams learn from one another.
By codifying infrastructure, you can stand up environments for development or testing in exactly the same way you’d run production. That supports better change control, more reliable deployments, and the ability to rebuild quickly if something goes wrong.
This aligns with the principle of making services reliable and resilient—and reduces dependence on key individuals to maintain or understand how environments were set up.
Not every team needs to switch to Infrastructure as Code overnight. In many cases, it’s about starting where it makes sense—supporting teams who want to adopt it, providing examples, and helping build confidence.
You might begin with:
What matters is creating space for learning and improvement, and setting the conditions where adoption becomes easier over time.
Yes, one of the long-term benefits of Infrastructure as Code is portability. If pricing changes, if policy shifts, or if a new supplier needs to take over, services built this way are far easier to move.
But many benefits can be realised straight away:
Services built with Infrastructure as Code are better from the outset—and more adaptable if things change in the future.
At Marvell Consulting, we work with public sector teams to help make services more robust, secure, and easier to manage—whether that’s exploring the use of Infrastructure as Code or helping embed good practices more widely.
We can:
If you’d like to chat about how this could apply to your team, get in touch at hello@marvell-consulting.com. We’d be happy to share our thoughts.
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