The Cabinet Office is failing to manage effectively the interdependencies with other government change programmes. At least 25 other digital change programmes across government must work with the shared services systems. Mismanaged interdependencies have resulted in avoidable costs, delays and pose a weak point for clusters’ delivery of the strategy. The failure of one interdependent programme, the Cabinet Office’s Applicant Tracking System (ATS) programme, is alone estimated to cost between £26 million and £38 million. In January 2025, concerns about interdependency management led the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority to urgently recommend the creation of a central design authority, capable of holding to account change programmes and the shared services clusters. In its response, the Cabinet Office failed to fully address the concerns raised by NISTA. Despite its 2025 refresh of governance, the Cabinet Office has not found a way to manage these interdependencies effectively. recommendation The Cabinet Office should: a. Review its decision not to address NISTA’s recommendation by implementing a government corporate services board with a mandate for mediating between clusters, functions and interdependent change programmes; and b. present the Committee with an action plan to address risks with interdependent change programmes.