Government Digital Service to become Whitehall's new digital centre of excellence

The Government is taking steps to consolidate its digital operations with the merger of the Government Digital Service (GDS), the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), the Geospatial Commission, and the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (i.AI)

This new centre of digital expertise aims to transform how public services operate and interact with citizens, ensuring that the government remains at the forefront of technological innovation while delivering more efficient, accessible, and personalised services.

At the heart of this transformation is the aspiration to build a truly digital state - one where services seamlessly operate across institutional boundaries and offer users a more personalised, time-saving experience.

As Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, explains: “We’re still a long way from building a truly digital state - one where services work across institutional boundaries, and where digital credentials enable a more time-saving, personalised user experience. Lots of public sector services stretch across the remit of many central departments, local authority teams, and NHS trusts. There’s a lot we can do to link those services up, while reducing the bureaucratic burden on the public to remember dozens of different accounts and passwords.”

The plans follow a State of Digital Government Review published alongside today's announcement. The Review has identified deep systemic challenges: institutionalised fragmentation; persistent legacy, cyber and resilience risk; siloed data; under-digitisation; inconsistent leadership; a skills shortfall; diffuse buying power; and outdated funding models.

Kyle also emphasises the need for government to keep pace with the rapid advances in technology: “AI is a paradigm shift, bringing substantial new opportunities that we must explore, understand, and embrace - responsibly.”

By creating a centralised digital hub, the government aims to address these challenges head-on, ensuring public services are as innovative and interconnected as the technologies underpinning them.

The transition to this new state began with the July 2024 announcement of the merger, setting in motion a phased approach to integration. A cross-departmental team has been working to align operations, engage staff, and identify areas for improvement.

Workshops and consultations have ensured a collaborative approach, involving voices from all impacted organisations. 

Previously, the UK government’s digital landscape was fragmented, with key functions distributed across multiple organisations. This structure often resulted in duplication, inefficiencies, and barriers to collaboration. Services that spanned the remit of central departments, local authorities, and NHS trusts often left users navigating a labyrinth of accounts and passwords, adding to the bureaucratic burden.

Moreover, the pace of digital transformation was lagging, and the government struggled to respond effectively to paradigm shifts in technology, such as AI. Without a centralised strategy, opportunities to leverage these advancements were often missed.

Benefits of the merger

The unified Government Digital Service is poised to deliver several key benefits:

• Seamless Service Integration: By breaking down institutional boundaries, the government can deliver services that are connected, user-focused, and easier to access.
• Streamlined Citizen Experience: Simplifying processes with digital credentials will reduce the need for multiple accounts and passwords, saving time for users.
• Faster Adoption of Emerging Technologies: A centralised approach will help the government explore, implement, and regulate technologies like AI responsibly and effectively.
• Improved Efficiency: The merger eliminates redundancy, enabling smarter use of resources and cost savings.
• Stronger Data Sharing and Management: A unified structure will facilitate better collaboration and data usage across departments, enhancing decision-making and policy outcomes.

As Kyle notes, the journey to a fully digital state is far from complete, but this merger represents a significant milestone. By creating a central hub for digital expertise, the UK government is laying the groundwork for transformative change, ensuring that public services not only meet but exceed the expectations of citizens in an increasingly digital world.

This bold initiative reflects the government’s commitment to embracing technological advancements while fostering a more connected, efficient, and citizen-centric public sector.