2nd October 2024
New Civica report urges acceleration in critical areas of UK Digital Roadmap including One Login roll-out, data quality and integration, cross-departmental collaboration and AI adoption
London, United Kingdom – 2nd October 2024 Civica, a global GovTech champion supporting the needs of citizens and those who serve them, has published new research tracking progress on the government’s 2022-25 Roadmap for Digital and Data. This strategy set out an ambitious vision, seeking to transform digital public services, improve operational efficiencies and provide better outcomes for citizens.
One year ahead of the finish line, Civica joined with Total Research to survey over 350 senior UK civil servants to assess familiarity with and perceived achievements against the roadmap’s key goals, as well to identify any barriers to delivery. While departments have made steady progress, the findings identified a need to prioritise action in several critical domains.
Lee Perkins,
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
This Government has a generational opportunity to transform digital services to better serve citizens and set new global benchmarks in productivity. The commitment we’ve seen so far has delivered encouraging progress. Now is the time to refocus efforts on maximising efficiencies and delivering citizen-centred innovation.
Overall, the research shows that only half of civil servants (48%) believe their organisation’s digital priorities align with the roadmap. This indicates that significant gaps are still to be addressed if the government is to deliver a marked improvement in productivity and service quality ahead of the deadline.
A cornerstone of the government’s digital strategy is the roll-out of GOV.UK One Login, facilitating seamless, easy access to public sector services. To date, however, only 16% of departments are actively implementing this. With almost two-thirds of civil servants unaware of any roll-out plans, there’s an urgent need for wider communication about the importance of implementing a tool that is critical to delivering citizen services.
The foundation of any digital transformation is easy access to high quality, integrated data. Despite this, more than half (57%) of civil servants report difficulties in using data from multiple sources. Meanwhile, only 5% rate their department’s capacity to leverage data as ‘very good’. This is a critical barrier to overcome.
When asked about the key challenges to implementing digital and data initiatives, ‘siloed working practices’ emerged as the top barrier (60%). This has increased from 46% in 2023, pointing towards an increasing lack of collaboration and integration as major impediments to progress. ‘Legacy IT infrastructure’ has also moved up the list of barriers from third to second place (47%).
As departments seek to modernise systems and processes, improve data quality and automate workflows, there is a significant opportunity for technologies such as AI. Yet, while 70% of civil servants view AI as crucial for improving productivity, only 31% of departments are currently taking advantage of the technology.
“As we move forward, government departments must address these gaps by investing in data, championing integration, and ensuring that AI technologies are deployed ethically and effectively,” Lee added. “Only by tackling these barriers head-on will the UK’s public services remain at the forefront of digital innovation, meeting citizens’ evolving expectations in 2025 and beyond.”
About the research
The 'Transforming for a Digital Future: 2022 to 2025 Roadmap for Digital and Data' strategy outlined six key missions, including the development of a single sign-on system, more effective data utilisation, modernisation of technology infrastructure, improvement of digital skills, and the creation of conditions necessary to deliver improved public services.
Civica partnered with Total Research to conduct a survey involving 360 civil servants across 15 major government departments to assess progress, achievements and barriers to achieving the roadmap goals and contrast the findings with our 2023 study, also conducted in partnership with Civica, and present insights from senior and mid-level decision-makers (SCS and Grade 6/7).
For this research study, 360 civil servants were surveyed in the following grades:
| Current grade | Our survey profile | Civil service statistical bulletin 2024 |
| Senior Executive Officer (SEO)/Higher Executive Officer (HEO) | 36% | 30% |
| Executive Officer (EO) | 14% | 26% |
| Grade 6 and 7 | 33% | 16% |
| Administration | 6% | 26% |
| SCS | 5% | 2% |
| Other | 6% | 0% |
Note, the profile of our survey is more senior than the proportion reported by the Civil service statistical bulletin 2024, with the top three tiers (SCS, Grade 6 and 7) over twice as high as official gov.uk civil servant stats (38% vs. 18%)
Download the full report for detailed insights and recommendations.
About Civica
Civica is a global GovTech champion focussed on developing critical cloud-based software and services that are integral to the everyday lives of citizens around the world. Our software and services are deeply embedded in the operations of Central/ Federal, State and Local Government and the Public Sector - from education to health and care, more than 5,000 public bodies across the globe trust and partner with Civica to help provide critical services to more than 100 million citizens. With operations in 7 countries across Europe, APAC and North America and more than 20 years of experience, we’re passionate supporting the needs of citizens and those that serve them every day. Find out more: www.civica.com