Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted
New inter-ministerial group and political leadership are key for AI coordination.
Recommendation
The Departments told us that the departmental moves had been supported by a new digital inter–ministerial group (IMG) which provides greater focus and links the work with wider cross–government work on public service reform and the government’s missions.66 DSIT emphasised that this was about “about having multiple members of the Cabinet really focused on the change agenda for Government on digital services” and “a very significant step up in ministerial engagement on the digital transformation of government”.67 The Cabinet Office also observed that the IMG is providing improved strategy, prioritisation and join–up, “saying, ‘let us prioritise and set the strategy so that the sum of the parts delivers the greatest bang for the buck’”.68 When we questioned DSIT on how it would influence departments across government and deliver on its role to support AI adoption across the public sector, witnesses told us that clear political leadership and prioritisation was key to driving co–ordination across departments and enabling effective delivery.69
Government Response Summary
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, refining the Government Digital and Data Pay Framework and Capability Framework, and developing talent pipelines through initiatives such as TechTrack, the AI Accelerator, and the Digital Secondments Programme.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
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.