"Working in the Open"

If Wales wants to rise to the challenge of improving public services, we have to change how we design and deliver them. That means putting people first, adopting modern and open ways of working, drawing on the best digital practices to build services that are simple, efficient, and designed around real life-needs.

The government has committed to creating a National Care and Support Service over the next decade, with full implementation from 2029. But a rigid, long-term plan risks being overtaken by events. A better way is to accelerate delivery by combining clear political intent with practical, test and learn reform.

Wales faces significant challenges in housing, infrastructure, climate change and public health. Yet the planning system – anchored in local development plans – is struggling to respond. Many local plans are outdated, the process for updating them is long and complex, and both communities and businesses find it hard to engage. Wrexham’s recent high-profile planning dispute illustrates the risks.

Grounding our ‘better way’ in practice. Fully adopting the approach set out in this report means changing how the Welsh Government designs policy and delivers services. To illustrate, we’ve sketched what the first 100 and 1,000 days might look like in two areas.