Recommendation 9

The NAO reported that the Department’s strategy is consistent with good practice across government. For example, its strategy recognises data as a strategic asset and that people and processes are as important as technology to successful digital change.20 However, the NAO also found that the Department lacks a complete picture of its progress against its strategy and recommended that the Department immediately create a clear delivery plan for the strategy. We asked the Department how it intends to measure its progress.21 The Department explained that it has plans and reporting in place for its individual projects, but agreed with the NAO’s recommendation, saying that it needs a single plan against which it can measure progress. The Department told us it wants to design a plan that will give clear outcome metrics the Department can measure against, to demonstrate internally and to us that it has improved.22 We wanted to know how the Department intends to provide transparency for Parliament and the public, so that we can assess the Department’s performance towards the ambitious targets it has set itself for