Clear, bold and accountable leadership
Transforming public service requires clear, bold leadership.
Leadership that understands the scale of the change we need that’s prepared to challenge and be challenged. Leadership with the vision, authority and staying power to drive lasting change.
Right now, leadership in Wales is fragmented. Direction is split between multiple government ministers, three Chief Digital Officers (CDO), and two ‘delivery’ bodies – the Centre for Digital Public Services (CDPS) and Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).
Each has separate priorities, approaches and strategies.
There’s no single, accountable figure setting direction, championing good practice or uniting the system behind a shared vision. For example, in NHS Wales, the CDO for Health and Social Care cannot control or set the direction of digital delivery in DHCW or individual health boards. Each has its own digital strategy and accountability frameworks.
Compounding this, Wales has a significant number of boards, committees and governance forums. While intended to oversee, they often become talking shops. They absorb valuable time and resources without genuinely accelerating delivery or fostering new thinking, reflecting a broader lack of imagination in addressing systemic issues.
The next Welsh Government should:
A. Appoint a Minister for Digital
Transformation needs a champion at the highest level. Someone who can advocate for a modern, user-centred approach to public services across government.
This Minister should:
- be responsible for a bold national digital strategy
- lead a cultural shift in how services are designed and delivered
- stay in post for the full Senedd term to provide consistency
B. Establish a national Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and a Digital Delivery Unit for Wales
Wales needs more than a single champion – it needs a dedicated team of experts, led by a national Chief Digital Officer, who can represent and transform the whole public service: Welsh Government, local authorities, arms-length bodies, and the NHS.
The CDO for Wales should:
- sit at Director General level, reporting to the Permanent Secretary and Minister for Digital
- be a visible and recognised leader in digital public service innovation, nationally and globally
- bring a track record in large-scale digital services (not IT) and a deep understanding of modern, user-centred ways of working
- be empowered to lead transformation across the system – not just influencing, but actively driving and delivering change
- be the Head of Profession for digital and technology across the whole of the public sector
The Digital Delivery Unit should act as a visible centre of leadership that builds confidence, shifts mindsets and inspires teams across Wales.
Together, they should deliver a portfolio of high-impact services to show how transformation moves from discussion to tangible outcomes. They should have a mandate to bring leadership across organisations together to redesign cross-cutting services and deliver improvements.
They should be responsible for building and delivering the digital public infrastructure and plumbing that supports a modern government. In the first 2 years they should transform 3-5 services across government, including:
- appointment management and reminders for health and social care
- registration, payment and management of council tax
- bringing together benefits, entitlements and support payments across Wales
This is not about creating another arm’s-length body. It’s about establishing a unit within the heart of government with the authority, skills and mandate to lead change across the whole system.
C. Lead by example
The Welsh Government must model the approach it wants others to adopt.
This means:
- empowering teams to work in the open and share learning
- celebrating delivery while being honest about challenges
- embracing a test and learn culture and showing work in progress
This kind of leadership helps rebuild public trust, and shows what good looks like in practice.