Source · National Audit Office

Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency

Published: 10 Mar 2023 Recommendations: 9 Type: Value for Money NAO confirmed: 9 Department: Cabinet Office

This report assesses how government is trying to address the underlying issues that make digital transformation so difficult to achieve.

Dept: Cabinet OfficeCross-government Topics: Commercial and financial managementDigital transformationDigital, data and technologyEfficiency and savingsLegacy systems nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

9 items

9 accepted 2 implemented 7 in progress

Rec	Recommendation	Addressee	Acceptance	Implementation
1	CDDO should b) increase its capability-building through formal training and mentoring support to help senior non-specialist leaders develop their understanding of government's operating environment and the constraints posed by legacy data and systems Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
2	CDDO should c) continue to push for central reforms in the way digital change is justified, funded and procured and work with policymakers, who often do not have the digital skills to understand how digital services work, to improve policy-making in this area Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
3	CDDO should d) work with HM Treasury to address the balance between capital and resource in departments' spending requirements Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
4	Departments should g) ensure that membership of their most senior decision-making board includes at least one senior digital leader Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
5	CDDO should e) review what departments can realistically achieve in terms of closing their skills gap and keep the scope of Roadmap activities under continuous review to ensure it matches available resources, accepting that prioritisation may be necessary Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	Implemented ✓ NAO
6	Departments should f) appoint at least one non-executive director with digital, data and technology expertise Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
7	Departments should i) establish an approach to stop new services being built on the existing costly and inefficient legacy foundations Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
8	Departments should h) appoint senior service owners for all major services with accountability for the full end to end service, decision making authority to deliver all aspects, and responsibility for developing operating and continually improving the service Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO
9	CDDO should a) continue to enlist proactive engagement and involvement from permanent secretaries in securing the support of senior leaders beyond the digital function Ref Page 16, 31 · Implemented End of spending review 2021	Cabinet Office	Accepted	In progress ✓ NAO

Public Accounts Committee follow-up

1 report

The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.

13 Sep 2023 Public Accounts C… Seventieth Report - Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency — 18 recommendations · parliament.uk