Value for Money

Update on government shared services

Published 6 March 2026 2 recommendations Cabinet Office, Cross-government Digital infrastructureDigital servicesDigital transformationDigital, data and technology nao.org.uk
Government efforts to pool ‘back office’ functions into a central, shared services structure are still facing uncertainty and delay.

Recommendations (2)

Source: NAO Recommendations Tracker
Government Response Pending
The NAO has not yet recorded a response to these recommendations. NAO tracks whether departments are acting on its recommendations via its recommendations tracker. This report was published 6 March 2026.
Cabinet Office
Rec 1 Response Pending
As a matter of urgency Cabinet Office should clarify governance responsibilities for government shared services within Cabinet Office, at director general level and above, to enable the delivery of the strategy, including clarifying responsibilities for: getting buy-in from government departments and a commitment to onboard onto shared services by 2030
Page 11, Paragraph 24, Point a, first bullet point
Cabinet Office
Rec 2 Response Pending
As a matter of urgency Cabinet Office should clarify governance responsibilities for government shared services within Cabinet Office, at director general level and above, to enable the delivery of the strategy, including clarifying responsibilities for identifying all interdependencies with shared services and ensuring that the original assumptions are still relevant and that compatibility with shared services is being actively managed.
Page 11, Paragraph 24, point a, second bullet point