Recommendation 7

We asked NS&I why it had been trying to do such a complex Programme, splitting operations undertaken by a single supplier into a multi-supplier model, in such a risky way. The NAO report shows that NS&I original planned expected four transition stages to happen largely at the same time, and NS&I accepted that it was originally trying to do too much at once, and that it should have recognised this before 2024, taken a step back and re-evaluated, and made sure that it had a viable implementation plan. NS&I said it originally wanted to do things in a more sequential way, and suggested it had been forced to change approach when it had been unable to award a contract (for the second phase, customer experience) as planned.11 5 C&AG’s Report, para 13 6 Committee of Public Accounts, Government’s relationship with digital technology suppliers, Twenty-Seventh Report of Session 2024–25, HC 640, 6 June 2025, para 2; C&AG’s Report, Government’s approach to technology suppliers: addressing the challenges, Session 2024–25, HC 543, 16 January 2025, para 3 7 C&AG’s Report, para 10 8 Q 1 9 C&AG’s Report, para 10 10 Qq 5, 15 11 Q 11; C&AG’s Report, Figure 6 8