After signalling its intention to revamp government’s core digital operations, the new administration has now set out detailed plans for doing so – while keeping Whitehall’s most recognisable tech brand in play
The new Labour administration had just begun its first week in power when it announced plans for a major shake-up of Whitehall’s digital scene.
The overhaul involved the Government Digital Service and sister agency the Central Digital and Data Office – along with the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI) – moving from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The intention was to create a new “digital centre” of government, where delivery and strategy units would be co-located with those making policy for the wider tech economy.
After six months of review and reflection, in January, ministers unveiled their long-term vision for the reimagined civil service tech hub. But, while it has a new home and new décor – and despite some preceding speculation about a likely rebrand – there is a familiar name on the shopfront: that of the Government Digital Service.
Not only will the GDS name remain in play, but the organisation has been expanded to reincorporate CDDO – which was spun off into its own entity in 2021. Also newly housed in GDS is i.AI and the Geospatial Commission.
While the starting point and the first steps of the path ahead have been made clear, some key questions about the future of digital government remain to be answered in the months and years ahead.
When GDS was in the Cabinet Office, the department’s remit to administer a range of standards and controls across government empowered the digital team with the ability to mandate transformative measures – and take remedial or enforcement action, where necessary.
At the launch of the new digital structure, CSW's sister title PublicTechnology asked technology secretary Peter Kyle whether, in its new location, the tech unit could still push through reforms across the Whitehall landcape.
“The answer is yes, but we’re doing it a different way,” Kyle said. “So, in essence, what we’ve done is we’ve moved delivery functions into DSIT – which is now delivering the digital transformation from the digital centre of government. [Alongside that] we have created a new governance arrangement for digital services, called the interministerial group, and what I call the triangle: we have Pat McFadden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, speaking on behalf of the centre of government; we’ve got Darren Jones, chief secretary to the Treasury – so we have the voice of the Treasury; and then myself [on behalf of DSIT]. There are three senior cabinet ministers who are responsible for the governing and performance management of what we’re doing. So, everything you see here has gone through the interministerial group.”
“It is actually a really exciting group to be on,” he continued, “because there is such enthusiasm for the direction of travel. But it also has grip; you’ve got the centre of government, you’ve got the Treasury, and you’ve got DSIT.”
“Because of the skills we have within the digital centre, we are now finding the experience of engaging with big tech firms is far more fruitful and respectful”
DSIT secretary Peter Kyle
Kyle also claimed that the relocated and expanded technology hub will have a greater ability to take the lead in shaping government’s work with suppliers. “The other really big thing that is possible because of the digital centre is that, because of the capacity and skills we have within it, we are now finding the experience of negotiating and discussing and engaging with big tech firms is far more fruitful and respectful – simply because we have a degree of skills in there, where we’re talking much more peer-to-peer. I think we’re going to deliver far more from the tech companies, simply because of that.”
What’s new?
A major DSIT policy paper – dubbed A blueprint for modern digital government and issued alongside the announcement of government’s future digital plans – set out in detail what “the new Government Digital Service” will look like, and how it will operate.
The organisation’s previous interim chief executive, Christine Bellamy, has been moved into a newly established role as government chief product officer, while GDS’s longer-term leader will be a soon-to-be-recruited government chief digital officer.
That post is currently filled on a temporary basis by Joanna Davinson, a former Home Office and CDDO leader who came out of retirement to replace Mike Potter when he left the CDDO position in September to focus on his health.
Included in the organisation led by the newly hired digital leader will be a Service Transformation Team, which has been established with a remit to bridge departmental and wider public sector boundaries to help deliver more joined-up citizen services. This team’s work will closely align with the five missions of the Labour government.
The policy paper suggests that GDS’s engagement with agencies across government will be supported by a more formal “account management structure to enable more strategic partnership with government departments and other partners”.
In the coming months, the government-wide digital strategy that concludes in 2025 will be succeeded by a new “overarching vision and strategy for government digital” developed by GDS, “including publishing a new Government Digital and AI Roadmap in summer 2025”, the policy paper says.
One of the central strands of the previous strategy was a scheme to bring two-thirds of government’s top 75 services for citizens up to a defined “great” standard; this will be shut down “in favour of a focus on catalysing deeper service transformation”, according to the blueprint.
Other near-term priorities will include a brief to “assess the overall package for digital and data professionals, including remuneration”.
GDS will also regain the responsibility – that it held from 2011 to 2021 – for “applying central spend assurance and digital spend controls”.
The digital unit will be expected to help “effectively prioritise spend in Spending Review Phase 2 to drive greater efficiency and interoperability” across government. During this process and beyond, this will involve “ensuring close collaboration with the Treasury and the Cabinet Office and with other cross-government priorities, including the national missions and public sector reform”, the blueprint says.
In the years to come, the organisation will be tasked with “negotiating whole-of-public-sector commercial agreements” for technology, digital and data services.
The digital hub will retain its role of developing, maintaining and continuously improving common digital platforms and services for government.
This will include the rollout of two major new products that will each launch this year: a central GOV.UK App; and a government digital wallet – with a virtual driving licence one of the first documents to be made available.
The blueprint says: “We’ll be responsible for taking a strategic view of national opportunities and risks, developing more strategic relationships with technology companies of all sizes, and proactively monitoring and addressing threats to resilience at a national level.” It continues: “There are some things we will stop doing, especially things that are delivered better outside the centre, or where central ownership slows down teams. That will mean radical consolidation of guidance and standards for digital and technology, retiring out-of-date and duplicative things, updating critical ones, streamlining the information teams need and making it easier for them to understand what to do.”
Sam Trendall is editor of CSW's sister title PublicTechnology