Source · National Audit Office

Update on government shared services

Published: 6 Mar 2026 Recommendations: 2 Type: Value for Money Department: Cabinet Office

Government efforts to pool ‘back office’ functions into a central, shared services structure are still facing uncertainty and delay.

Dept: Cabinet OfficeCross-government Topics: Digital infrastructureDigital servicesDigital transformationDigital, data and technology nao.org.uk →

Recommendations

2 items
Government response pending.

The NAO has not yet recorded a response to these recommendations. This report was published 6 March 2026.

Rec Recommendation Addressee Acceptance Implementation
1
As a matter of urgency Cabinet Office should clarify governance responsibilities for government shared services within Cabinet Office, at director general level and above, to enable the delivery of the strategy, including clarifying responsibilities for: getting buy-in from government departments and a commitment to onboard onto shared services by 2030
Ref Page 11, Paragraph 24, Point a, first bullet point
Cabinet Office Pending
2
As a matter of urgency Cabinet Office should clarify governance responsibilities for government shared services within Cabinet Office, at director general level and above, to enable the delivery of the strategy, including clarifying responsibilities for identifying all interdependencies with shared services and ensuring that the original assumptions are still relevant and that compatibility with shared services is being actively managed.
Ref Page 11, Paragraph 24, point a, second bullet point
Cabinet Office Pending