ANYONE who has followed the news over the last 48 hours will share the reaction we had at our committee meeting last week when the chief executive and head of the public service outlined his draft findings of his MyGov investigation.
We knew that it would be bad.
We knew that standards had fallen far short of what the public rightly expects, but the waste of public money revealed is absolutely staggering.
It is simply unacceptable that MyGov was allowed to continue for so long, consuming vast sums while delivering almost none of what was promised.
It has, and will, rightly prompt anger and deep disappointment among members, across the public service, and within the wider community. And it demands we receive a response equal to the scale of that failure.
What is laid out in the report is not a technical failure or a one-off mistake, but a systemic failure, a prolonged breakdown in governance and accountability.
It seems that despite warning signs being present, opportunities to intervene were missed, and governance arrangements became ever more complicated instead of more effective.
More than £21m. was spent on a programme defined by high ambition and bold promises, but which ultimately failed to deliver.
Money that was meant to transform services, invest in infrastructure, and improve value for money was instead absorbed by a programme that drifted, expanded, and contracted without sufficient ownership or scrutiny.
The chief executive’s report lays bare the reality of a programme which went wrong on multiple levels. Let there be no misunderstanding – while there is no evidence of malfeasance, this was an epic failure of leadership and accountability.
Public money was spent without a firm enough link to delivery, performance was not clearly owned, and failure did not trigger timely consequences. The programme’s closure was the right decision, and I commend those who made it – albeit it came far too late.
There are simply too many serious concerns identified in this report to isolate or single out any one issue. The failures were systemic, interconnected, and repeated over time. Some of the findings are frankly astonishing.
The Policy & Resources Committee unequivocally supports the chief executive to lead the change that is required.
His report is candid, uncomfortable, and necessary. The actions he has set out are not cosmetic fixes. They go to the heart of what went wrong and are focused on delivery, improvement and restoring confidence.
Clear ownership for projects. Fewer but more effective layers of governance diligently followed. A firm, uncompromising approach to procurement, backed by real and robust commercial discipline. Business cases which focus on what matters most. Professionalising how the public service approach and report on change and delivery. Clear separation between those delivering work and those charged with challenging it. Funding released only when delivery is proven. Reporting, internally and externally, that tells the unvarnished truth, fairly, accurately and transparently. Re-establishing ownership of our digital future, focusing on what matters most to the public and the organisation. A culture that listens to staff and acts swiftly and decisively on what it hears. And leadership accountability that applies at every level, including the most senior.
As a committee, our expectation is clear – the actions which have been set out by the chief executive must be implemented in full. Progress must be visible and transparent, and accountability must be sustained over time. Only then can confidence be rebuilt, both within the organisation and with the community the public service serves. We expect some of these changes to be made within days. Others will necessarily take more time, but none will be deferred or diluted, and all will be accompanied by clear milestones, ownership, and reporting so that progress can be properly monitored and assured.
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