Recommendation 23

There has been a noticeable change in pace since the introduction of the 2021 strategy refresh.45 The Cabinet Office highlighted what was different, namely that government functions such as HR, finance and commercial had taken the lead and set standards for departments to use. It explained that departments were working together in clusters and accepting this leadership, whereas previously departments held their own views on how they would like to use these functions.46 The Department for Work & Pensions explained that its cluster had learned to work together more effectively. When the four departments in the cluster first came together to develop their 2021 Spending Review bid, everything was repeated a number of times as engagement took place with commercial, HR and investment committees in each department. Now they have a memorandum of understanding between the departments, a single programme senior responsible officer and a lead accounting officer.47 45 Q 1 46 Q 30 47 Q 86 Government Shared Services 15