Recommendation 28

Successful procurement programmes require departments to have digital commercial experts at senior level, and governance arrangements to ensure that senior leaders are equipped to understand the issues being raised and the options available to manage risks.47 DSIT told us that the January 2025 Blueprint envisaged every organisation having a digital CDIO or otherwise sitting on their most senior departmental committee and their executive committee, and also having a digitally appropriate non–executive director on their board.48 We noted that cultural change starts at the top, and we were concerned that government was not moving quickly enough to meet the pace of change the government needs to make. We asked the Cabinet Office and DSIT what they were doing to embed a culture that fully incorporates digital. The Cabinet Office told us that “we have to change the culture”. DSIT noted that the Blueprint identifies culture as one of a long list of changes that are required for improvement.49 45 Q 33 46 Qq 33–34 47 C&AG’s Report, para 2.13 48 Q 52 49 Qq 51–52, 75 18 3 Chapter 3: Spending and buying power Data on spending and the pipeline of supply and demand