Survey reveals 'digital skills gap' within UK government

The NAO surveyed 36 "digital leaders" within central government departments and arm's length agencies in August and found that many of those organisations lack board members with experience on digital or IT strategies and operations or on "IT enabled change".

The digital leaders surveyed included chief information officers, chief technology officers and chief digital officers within government departments and agencies.

According to an NAO report on the findings of the survey (48-page / 719KB PDF), fewer than one in 10 government departments or agencies have a member on their main board with three or more years experience in digital or IT strategies.

In addition, the digital leaders believe that just 6% of staff in their organisations have digital and technology skills, the report said.

Skills required in areas such as data analytics and cyber security as well as in commercial and procurement and agile development are not met by available supply, the survey respondents said.

Digital leaders in government expect government departments and agencies to enter into more partnership arrangements with other organisations to tap into external expertise, according to the NAO's report.

Budget constraints and organisational culture are the biggest barriers that exist to the development of digital and technology skills among current staff within UK government departments and agencies, the survey respondents said. Restrictions on the amount those organisations can pay, the civil service recruitment process and external market factors like demand, scarcity and competition were the main barriers identified to recruitment of new staff skilled in digital and technology, the report said.

Central government initiatives aimed at improving digital skills in government are often unused by government departments and agencies, the survey revealed. More than half of respondents said that their employer had not used the government's digital academy, a service manager training programme run by Government Digital Service or participated in a Cabinet Office skills audit.

The NAO said: "To achieve major cost savings, government will require radical new ways of delivering public services. New technology and service ‘front ends’ play a role, but change must be more fundamental, involving radical and flexible operating models, designed around users and data. This ‘digital transformation’ means government needs the digital and technology (DaT) profession to have business change skills, as well as IT, technology and data."

"There is limited supply of digital skills in the private, as well as public and third sectors. Combined with government funding and pay pressures, there is widespread acknowledgement of the digital skills gap and challenges of filling it, particularly in specialist areas such as cyber security and data analytics," it said.