Major study with 12 UK permanent secretaries reveals key enablers to ‘rewiring the state’
A major new study on driving transformation in government – informed by the most senior UK civil servants – has revealed the key enablers to accelerating progress and the barriers that must be tackled if the government is to achieve “a complete rewiring of the British state” to deliver its priorities.
Based on interviews with 12 permanent secretaries and led by former Cabinet secretary and head of the civil service Lord Gus O’Donnell, the research highlights the systemic enablers needed to deliver government transformation – from digital leadership to joined-up government.
The Rewiring the State: Unlocking Government Transformation report, published by Global Government Forum and including an introduction from Lord O’Donnell, sets out four priorities that government should focus on to create the conditions for reform:
- Making digital a core part of government leadership and driving a culture of delivery
- Building transformational capability at every level, including among senior leaders
- Unlocking the full power of data and AI through reuse of proven tools, removing the blockers to data sharing, and smarter procurement.
- Driving joined-up government through mechanisms that enable coordination and peer learning across departments. This means re-energising the government’s vision for cross-departmental missions and ensuring that all departments understand how they can contribute.
Key recommendations in the report, based on the reflections of the permanent secretaries, include
- Tying performance reviews of senior civil servants more closely to government and departmental priorities and citizen-focused outcomes.
- Introducing mandatory digital training and assessment for all civil servants, and a targeted programme for senior civil servants.
- Clarifying and strengthening the digital centre’s role across government. Departments see potential for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to play a stronger cross-government role.
- Updating funding processes to meet the needs of the digital era.
Publishing shortly after recent changes in No. 10 Downing Street to drive the “relentless delivery” of government priorities, the report underlines the role of data, digitisation and AI in creating a more agile and effective state.
The need to focus on outcomes and delivery
Lord O’Donnell commented: “There is time for the government to get this right. Clear outcomes from a small number of vital areas of public service need to be specified and then delivered. Alongside this, the crucial growth mission needs to be prioritised above all else. But it needs to be the right kind of growth: ideally revenue-rich to fund services and growth which people recognise as making their lives better in a sustainable way.”
“Digital transformation concerns everyone. It has the potential to fundamentally improve internal government operations and delivery of services to our citizens,” he added.
Departments represented in the permanent secretary interviews include the Home Office, HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Ministry of Justice, HM Treasury, the Department for Education, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Ministry of Defence, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Siobhan Benita, a former UK senior civil servant and executive advisor to Global Government Forum, who co-authored the report, said: “Permanent secretaries have identified the systemic enablers needed. If the government can overcome entrenched blockers and sustain momentum, it has the chance not just to digitise services, but to reshape the state itself.”
Cognizant and Amazon Web Services were knowledge partners for the study.
In a joint report foreword, Yatin Mahandru, vice president, head of public sector and health, Cognizant, and Faye Holt, director within UK Public Sector, Amazon Web Services, said: “As long-term technology partners to the UK government, we welcome the report’s emphasis on systemic reform. Digital transformation succeeds when it is embedded into leadership, when skills and capability are developed across the civil service, and when funding and governance are designed to encourage collaboration and harness innovation rather than reinforce silos. Partnering is a key skill and attribute required.
“This report underscores the critical importance of centralised standards, shared platforms, and forward-thinking stewardship of data sharing and approaches to AI. It highlights the risks of fragmented systems and legacy technologies – and the opportunity to unlock efficiency, trust, and public value through joined-up delivery.”
Download the report: Rewiring the State: Unlocking Government Transformation
About Sarah Wray
Sarah has over 15 years’ experience as a journalist with a specialism in the public sector and topics such as digitalisation and climate action. Sarah was formerly the editor of Cities Today and Smart Cities World, as well as a specialist video-based publication in the aerospace sector. She has also written for publications including Smart Cities Dive, Mobile Europe, Mobile World Live and Computer Weekly.
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