About

I am Sarah Baskerville, known as Baskers. I am a Technical Architect at the Department for Transport (DfT). I have worked in government for 25 years, moving from finance data to business intelligence, delivery, technical assurance and architecture. I grew up in Dundee, lived in London, and now live in Ramsgate, Kent. I am a self-described Sci-Fi geek and proud Whovian. Loves all things technology, and endlessly curious about what new tech can do.

Timeline

  1. 1993

    Dundee — BSc (Hons) Chemistry & Environmental Science. Treasurer of the Chemistry Society. Where my curiosity was ignited about how data and information are intertwined with every aspect of life.

  2. 1998

    University of Nottingham — MSc Environmental Science. A year of postgraduate study after Dundee.

  3. 2001

    DTLR — Transport Finance Desk Officer. I worked on public expenditure, Estimates and budgeting.

  4. 2002

    Department for Transport — Financial Data Management Manager. I looked after finance data systems and reporting to HM Treasury, using SAP and BW.

  5. 2004

    HM Treasury — Business Process Analyst, then Technical Manager, then Data Quality Improvement Manager. I worked on COINS, the Single Data System for central government, from communications and data migration to data quality, and managed a team of seven.

  6. 2007

    Department for Transport — Head of Business Intelligence Systems. I ran the BI service for the Board, with over 1,000 users.

  7. 2018

    Department for Transport — Product, Service and Delivery Manager. I delivered new products and services using Agile.

  8. 2019

    Department for Transport — Technical Assurance, Future of Shared Services. I helped plan the replacement of DfT's SAP ECC6 system with SAP cloud services, and chaired the Technical Assurance Group.

  9. 2023

    Department for Transport — Technical Architect (now). I protect DfT's interests on Unity, a Cabinet Office programme run by HMRC to build a shared SAP service for HMRC, DfT and MHCLG. I make sure it meets our enterprise, solution and security architecture, so HR, Finance and Procurement data is encrypted and properly safeguarded.

What I do

  • 01Architecture assuranceI check that new systems follow DfT's enterprise and solution architecture policies.
  • 02Security safeguardsI make sure sensitive data has the right protection.
  • 03Integration and roadmapsI plan how systems connect, which environments they need and where they go next.
  • 04Business intelligenceI build dashboards and reports that help people make decisions.
  • 05Data quality and master dataI keep the data behind those reports accurate and consistent.
  • 06Delivery and service managementI use Agile, PRINCE2 and ITIL to deliver work that people can rely on.
Full career history and qualificationsView on LinkedIn

Community

I organise community events alongside my day job.

Outside work

Background: an artist's impression of a quasar, a supermassive black hole firing jets out of a swirling disc of gas.

I am a proud Whovian and love Sci-Fi. Whether it be Doctor Who, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, DC Universes… the list can go on and on…

I also love shiny new technology. Endlessly optimistic at what a possible future could be if we harnessed technology for the greater good.

A quasar: a supermassive black hole feeding on its galaxy (artist's impression). Image: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI), via Unsplash.

Things I care about