Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 13
13
Government has not properly structured and resourced technology departments against good standards.
Conclusion
Government has not properly structured and resourced technology departments against good standards. This makes it difficult to manage the integration and connections between different systems, especially legacy systems, both within and outside programmes.34 This lack of resource and structure means that digital programmes do not have a strong technical design function and programme office for each major programme. Departments need to staff these programme offices with people who have sufficiently deep digital expertise, and the centre should support them with a strong central team. This can help ensure departmental programmes deliver what is in the best interests of government as a whole.35
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
4: PAC conclusion: Digital programmes often fail to have their own single programme office to support the programme director to align all aspects throughout the lifetime of the programme, including integration of legacy and future systems. 4: PAC recommendation: The Cabinet Office should develop guidance on how to approach legacy integration, and mandate rigorous and professional design, data and infrastructure controls and practices, with appropriate accountabilities. 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: end of December 2022 4.2 CDDO will work with departments to improve the management of large-scale programmes involving transition from legacy systems to new digital solutions. This will focus on legacy integration and the transition phase. CDDO will monitor the cross-government legacy estate using the legacy framework, using insights from the framework to inform better decision making, whilst also producing guidance for departments on how to manage integrations and transitions away from legacy effectively, drawing on best practice from government and from industry. Programmes will also be evaluated on their adherence to the legacy framework and wider standards as part of the Cabinet Office spend controls process. Many departments have already implemented single programme offices for digital programmes, who Cabinet Office work closely with, such as the Technology Sourcing Programme in HM Revenue & Customs, or the Prison Technology Transformation Programme in the Ministry of Justice.