“In the UK, there is an increasing number of government transformation programmes underway, designed to manage the introduction of new technology and associated changes. Whether it’s an online portal for tax returns, chatbot apps for customer interactions or large-scale smart city services, technology is now a vital part of public life. Today, there are at least 19 such digital transformation programmes in operation, together costing the taxpayer almost £38 billion.

Despite the UK Government’s clear commitment to using technology to improve services and save money, it’s accepted that squeezed public sector budgets and complex requirements make adopting digital technologies on a large-scale difficult. Compounding the complexity in this highly regulated world, any tech initiative must be trusted, secure and reliable.

However, whilst the government recognises that digital transformation programmes are “extremely challenging” (1) the risks in not transforming are also significant, jeopardising the future quality, value for money, relevance and quality of public services.”

The article: Overcoming obstacles to digital transformation