Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 16
16
Accepted
Government's long-standing digital and data skills gap requires renewed efforts and diverse initiatives.
Conclusion
The digital and data skills gap in government is long–standing and this committee has raised concerns about this issue in the past.35 We challenged the Cabinet Office and DSIT on how they were tackling the problem and they told us they need to do more to communicate the benefits of working in the public sector, including the opportunity for public service and to have an impact on people’s lives.36 They also told us they wanted to encourage the flow of people and skills between the private and public sectors through greater use of secondments and “tours of duty”.37 Other initiatives set out by the Cabinet Office included a digital excellence programme of training for senior civil servants, the creation of a digital, data and innovation pathway and providing different entry routes into the profession (for example, the digital fast stream and targets for new digital apprenticeships).38
Government Response Summary
DSIT is implementing reforms, including refining the Government Digital and Data Pay Framework and Capability Framework, to address digital skills gaps. Talent pipelines are being developed and cross-sector skills exchange is encouraged through initiatives like TechTrack and the Digital Secondments Programme, with progress to be set out in the forthcoming Government Digital and AI Roadmap.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
3. PAC conclusion: There are persistent digital skills shortages in the public sector and DSIT’s plans to address the skills gap may not be enough. 3. PAC recommendation: DSIT and Cabinet Office should write to the committee alongside publication of the Digital and AI Roadmap to: • explain how the planned reforms are expected to resolve the skills gap and by when, including how they will encourage the flow of digital skills between the private and public sectors, ensure digital leaders are more influential in decision making and embed a digital–first ethos into the civil service. • explain how they will monitor and evaluate the reforms so they can take action swiftly if reforms are not successful, and • set out their plans for reporting progress publicly. 3.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: March 2026 3.2 DSIT acknowledges the ongoing digital skills gaps across the public sector and is taking active steps to implement reforms that address this challenge. 3.3 To strengthen leadership and invest in talent, the government is introducing a requirement for all executive committees to include digital leaders and for boards to appoint digital non-executive directors by 2026. The role of the Government Chief Digital Officer has also been elevated to increase strategic influence over key decisions. 3.4 Further action to attract, retain, and develop digital and data talent is being taken through the refinement of the Government Digital and Data Pay Framework and Capability Framework. 3.5 To support long-term workforce planning, talent pipelines are being developed and cross-sector skills exchange encouraged through initiatives such as TechTrack, the AI Accelerator, and the Digital Secondments Programme. 3.6 The impact of these initiatives will be monitored and evaluated through the Workforce Commission’s bi-annual reporting, the Senior Civil Service Benchmarking Tool, and ongoing workforce data collection. Transparency will be maintained through public reporting, including updates on digital leadership appointments, publication of Workforce Commission outputs (where appropriate), and the launch of major programmes such as TechTrack. 3.7 Further detail on these measures will be set out in the forthcoming Government Digital and AI Roadmap.