The SSO role is not well understood across departments compared to other senior roles in departments. Both Cabinet Office and DSIT told us that more can and should be done to raise its profile and ensure that an SSO is appointed for “every single service”.45 It is important to ensure that SSOs have the appropriate authority as well as the right skills for the role. The Cabinet Office told us that it has already identified where an SSO is necessary, but ultimately Permanent Secretaries should be responsible for their appointment. The Cabinet Office does not yet have a timeframe for this but has committed to set one out in response to this report.46 Pace and leadership to enable benefits from new technologies