We have reported previously that there is a large gap between the demand and supply of the digital specialists that government needs.24 We found that government is yet to make meaningful progress overcoming this long-standing challenge, which often leaves it reliant on contractors.25 We pressed the Department on this point and they concurred that the availability of technology skills continues to be a problem for the whole UK economy. We heard from the Department that its current digital workforce is a mixture of civilian, contractor, and military personnel and that it draws on a range of commercial and academic partners to supplement this.26 The Department also has the ability to draw on reservists, some of whom are digital specialists in civilian life and can provide those skills on a part-time basis.27 In its digital strategy, the Department notes that it has “fallen behind in accessing the specialist skills we need”.28 The Department identified that getting the further specialist skills it needs is a key factor affecting its likelihood of success in achieving the strategy’s goals by 2025.29 It told us these skills will include: architects; business analysts; cyber advisory risk specialists; data analysts; developers; delivery managers; infrastructure engineers; IT service managers; data science; experts in AI, robotics and cyber-security; and product managers.30