Firebreaks

Data and Analytics Engineering firebreak sessions are sprints (designated times) where our teams pause business as usual projects to focus on tackling specific problems, exploring new technologies and ideas within the Data and Analytics Directorate.

We propose projects on our firebreak boards and ask team members to join. At the end of the firebreak sprint we collectively review what we produced and what we learned.

Firebreaks allow our teams to take a step back from day-to-day tasks and dedicate focused time to resolve issues, implement improvements, or experiment with innovative solutions without the usual pressures of regular deadlines or ongoing projects.

About Firebreak Sessions:

Provide a structured opportunity to address long-standing challenges or inefficiencies.
Foster creativity and innovation by giving teams freedom to experiment and test new tools or methods.
Help teams focus on high-priority tasks that may have been sidelined due to time constraints.
Encourage collaboration across departments or teams to solve shared problems.

These sessions are similar in concept to hackathons or innovation sprints, but they are more focused on problem-solving and improvement rather than pure innovation or new project development. They also serve as a refresh period for teams to reset and refocus.

Firebreaks sessions can result in tangible outcomes, such as improved processes, enhanced systems, or the implementation of new tools and practices that benefit the wider Ministry of Justice. Please keep an eye out for our internal notice boards, for up and comming firebreak sprints.