The people that run government departments need a better understanding of digital transformation if billions of pounds of efficiency savings are to be made, according to the latest National Audit Office (NAO) report. In Digital transformation in government: addressing the barriers to efficiency , the NAO warned this could continue unless the government addresses a lack of understanding among decision-makers: “For government to realise billions of pounds in efficiency savings, those running departments need to improve their understanding of digital transformation.” An earlier NAO report in July 2021 concluded that there had been a quarter of a century of underperformance in digital transformation strategies by successive governments. The latest report said that the government has previously focused on “simpler online interactions” and just added layers to services, still using old data and systems. This, it added, has “entrenched higher costs and earlier inefficiencies”. “Digital change involves levels of complexity, uncertainty and risk, which are often unique to each specific programme due to legacy systems, existing operations and the difficulties of integration. These are complex and deep-rooted issues which take time to address and must be properly addressed by transformation programmes’ governance structures. “[However], most digital change decisions in government […]
Government departments need to better understand digital transformation or efforts will ‘peter out’
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