Moving on from a legacy intranet in a UK government department
A large UK public sector department engaged ClearBox to help define the future of its intranet after an ageing, on-premises platform was no longer meeting organisational needs. Appointed via G-Cloud, ClearBox was asked to provide independent strategy, stakeholder alignment and clear platform direction within the constraints of public sector governance and budgets. Through structured discovery and prioritisation, ClearBox helped the department agree a clear path forward, align stakeholder needs and move into phased delivery, with implementation now under way.
A complex, operational environment
The organisation operates at national scale, with a large, operational workforce and a complex mix of roles and services. Its digital landscape had evolved over time, combining a legacy intranet platform with Microsoft SharePoint and other tools used across the business. The intranet was expected to support internal communications, help people find policies and processes, and enable staff to get day-to-day work done efficiently, yet it was increasingly struggling to fulfil that role.
When the intranet becomes the workaround…
The existing intranet was built on an ageing, on-premises open source platform that was no longer fit for the organisation’s needs. It struggled to support modern internal communications, with limited support for images and video, making it difficult to publish engaging, visual content or gather feedback.
Finding information was equally problematic. Search results were inconsistent, content was often out of date, and there were limited tools to support content ownership or governance. As a result, teams began working around the intranet rather than through it. Communications were pushed out via email or Sway, ad-hoc SharePoint sites appeared across the organisation, and in some cases even complex PDF links were used to replicate basic navigation.
Over time, these workarounds increased fragmentation, creating an inconsistent experience for staff and making it harder to know where to go for trusted information.
Overcoming intranet limitations and internal barriers
Past attempts to replace the intranet had faltered, leaving the project team wary and momentum slow. Decision-making often stalled, with discussions circling rather than progressing. There was also the challenge of bringing multiple stakeholders – each with different priorities – into alignment around what the new intranet needed to achieve. Establishing clear, agreed-upon criteria for success became critical so that the team could focus on a defined set of outcomes and move forward with confidence.
Working within the realities of government
Any future intranet had to operate within clear public sector constraints. Security and compliance were non-negotiable, including ISO 27001 security standards and a strong preference for UK-based data hosting. Procurement also shaped the options available, with suppliers needing to be available through G-Cloud. Cost was another critical factor. Budgets needed to be carefully managed, and decisions had to balance capability with long-term value rather than defaulting to the most feature-rich solution.
At the outset, success was defined less by selecting a specific platform and more by reaching a shared, informed position. That meant aligning the needs and priorities of communications, HR, operations and IT, and agreeing a clear way forward that the organisation could deliver with confidence.
ClearBox’s approach…
ClearBox began with a full discovery phase designed to build a shared understanding of needs across the organisation. This included stakeholder interviews, focus groups and a staff survey, capturing broad perspectives covering communications, HR, operations and IT.
Insights from discovery were structured using ClearBox’s Digital Workplace Framework, helping the organisation step back from individual requests and focus on the role the intranet should play within the wider digital landscape. This approach translated insights into clear business priorities and a set of functional and non-functional requirements that could be assessed objectively.
To support capability prioritisation, ClearBox used its plain-English requirements cards, around 80 to 90 covering common intranet capabilities – working with stakeholders to apply MoSCoW prioritisation and tailor requirements to their context. Platforms were then shortlisted based on their ability to meet these needs within the organisation’s constraints and budget.
Alongside strategy and selection, ClearBox provided practical support on navigation design, user-centred information architecture and resourcing, ensuring recommendations were grounded in what the organisation could realistically deliver. All work was delivered remotely, with regular governance and progress checkpoints throughout.
Outcomes and progress
The engagement resulted in a clear, agreed direction for the organisation’s intranet and digital workplace. Stakeholders across communications, HR, operations and IT aligned around shared priorities, supported by a defined set of requirements and a realistic delivery roadmap.
Following ClearBox’s recommendations, the organisation selected a platform from the shortlist and moved into phased implementation. Phase one, focused on internal news and communications, has now been delivered, with subsequent phases progressing to address reference content and information findability.
While implementation has taken place over time, the strategy provided a stable foundation for decision-making and delivery. The organisation has been able to move forward with confidence, using a platform aligned to its needs and constraints, and with a clearer understanding of how the intranet should support staff day to day.
What made the difference?
The project succeeded by focusing on alignment before technology. Broad stakeholder involvement from the outset helped surface competing needs early and build shared ownership of decisions. Clear priorities, realistic constraints and a structured approach meant progress could continue even as delivery moved at pace.
For other organisations facing similar challenges, the lesson is simple – a legacy intranet problem is rarely just about the platform. Clarity, governance and agreement on direction matter just as much as the technology chosen.
