Yr Hen Ogledd will rise again

I have long thought it a shame that the old Welsh name Clud was replaced by Strathclyde, so it is with great pleasure that this inhabitant of the old North, or yr hen ogledd to use its bardic name, is now working with the cousins, Ann Kempster, Dafydd Vaughan, Jo Carter and Nia Campbell of Transform Wales in the run up to the May general elections in both our countries. My Foundations of the Digital State and their report are heading the same direction.

Now all we need to do is see if the Super Furry Animals will record a new version of the Fall’s The North Will Rise Again in Welsh for us…

So I though at short interview with them for my readership would be in order.

Transform Wales is a collective of digital transformation and design experts with decades of experience leading change across Welsh public services, UK Government and government around the world. We’ve helped teams deliver transformation at every level.

We believe Wales can build digital public services that are not only efficient, but more inclusive, resilient and trusted.

Earlier this year, we launched Cymru Ddigidol, a growing online community for practitioners and leaders to share and learn together. And this summer we pooled our knowledge, experience and frustrations into a report about moving beyond short-term fixes and designing public services that truly meet the needs of Welsh communities.

Read the Transform Wales report.

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While technology has changed immeasurably over the 25 years of devolution, our ways of delivering it haven’t kept pace.

Wales still relies too heavily on large, external IT suppliers using outdated, waterfall-style delivery methods. These approaches demand heavy governance, long procurement cycles and rigid plans that leave little room for test and learn approaches. By the time projects finally launch, they’re often over budget, outdated, and irrelevant to people’s needs.

Public services must be designed with the people using them, by the people delivering them.

We continue to design around technology and policy, not people. We still mistake IT products for digital transformation, and pin hopes on quick fixes like AI rather than investing in the skills, teams and cultures that make real change possible.

Meanwhile, public bodies tackle the same problems in isolation, duplicating work that could be shared or reused. We lose time, talent and public trust.

The barriers to progress aren’t just technical — they’re systemic. We have a leadership gap where digital is still seen as an add-on, not a core part of how government works. Digital is still viewed as just a technology quick fix.

Too few senior leaders understand what modern digital delivery looks like or how to create the conditions for successful delivery to happen at pace. Those conditions include empowering multidisciplinary teams, funding work in smaller, testable increments, and creating a culture where learning and openness are valued over control and certainty. When leaders model these behaviours, digital transformation becomes possible, not just promised.

Skills remain concentrated in too few teams, with limited investment in building capability across user-centred design.

Funding cycles and governance models are still geared towards big, one-off projects or programmes, instead of small, test-and-learn teams that are focussed on outcomes, deliver value quickly and reduce risk. Together, these issues create a culture of dependency: on big suppliers, rigid processes and short-term thinking.

This stops Wales from developing its own sustainable digital ecosystem and is stifling the development of Welsh digital and technology businesses.

The real opportunity lies in how we work, not just what we build.

Modern, user-centred approaches are already proving their value across Wales, from the Welsh Revenue Authority’s open policy prototyping, to Sport Wales’ more inclusive grants service, and the shared digital unit emerging across Gwent councils. These examples show that when teams are empowered to test, learn and collaborate in the open, services improve and waste decreases.

We need to make this the standard, not the exception. That means a Digital Strategy for Wales that reconnects policy with delivery. And a Welsh Government that mandates and models modern, iterative, user-centred ways of working.

Wales isn’t short on talent or ideas. What we need now is the confidence and commitment to deliver differently, together.

We’re inviting anyone working in or around public services to join us. Whether you’re a politician, senior leader in the public sector, policy lead, delivery manager or UCD practitioner, this is a collective effort. The next step is simple: get involved, share what’s working, and help shape a digital Wales that delivers for everyone.