7 GDS has successfully reshaped government's approach to technology and transformation. In its early years, GDS showed that government could quickly introduce digital service standards for users based on those used for GOV.UK. In our previous work, we have found that methods promoted by GDS, such as agile development, are used widely across government, and that digital leaders are perceived as breaking down traditional barriers between IT and other functions (paragraphs 1.6 to 1.8 and Figure 8).4
8 GDS has found it difficult to redefine its role as it has grown and transformation has progressed. GDS has expanded significantly. In 2015, it received £455 million in funding over the four years of the current spending review period. At the same time, departments have moved ahead with transformation programmes. We found widespread views across government that GDS has struggled to adapt to its changing role. In July 2016, GDS's Advisory Board identified a need for a high-level vision for GDS (paragraphs 1.14 to 1.16, 2.6, 2.7, 2.15, Figures 3 and 4).
9 The 2017 Government Transformation Strategy has relaunched GDS's approach to supporting transformation across government. GDS intends to support end-to-end transformation. It will continue its work on improving digital services for users and developing new central systems for cross-government use, but will also tackle the more immediate challenges of changing existing services, systems and processes (paragraphs 1.3, 1.4, 1.12 and Figure 6).
_______________________________________________
4 See National Audit Office, A snapshot of the use of Agile delivery in central government, September 2012 and National Audit Office, The digital skills gap in government - Survey findings, December 2015.