Introduction

Purpose

Socitm has designed Public Sector Digital Trends analysis to help public sector leaders plan their digital journey, learning from others and applying insights to their own organisation and circumstances. Our audiences include councillors, public sector executives, heads of service, heads of IT, chief information officers, chief digital officers, indeed anyone with an interest in the application of digital – cultures, technologies and data – to improve public services outcomes.

How to use the collection

We include a specific guide on how to use the Digital Trends collection, the factors to consider, why it is unique, common mistakes in predictions and why it can be trusted in a local public services context.

Quality and methodology

The approach has changed since 2024. For our 2025 iteration, we have focused on three trends prioritised by Socitm’s Local CIO Council and representatives from our international partners. These top three trends are: reimagining services, harnessing data, and cyber security.

Our analysis draws on experiences from across the UK and our LOLA and MCE partner countries, with a thematic, qualitative review of case studies for the top three trends, alongside a workshop where we reviewed and updated the remaining digital and technology trends from our 2024 report (English and Dutch versions).

Case studies

We selected the case studies for inclusion by considering the following:

• Drawn from desk research and provided by sector experts
• Selected from 2023 onwards to ensure relevance
• Showcase examples of artificial intelligence application
• Consequently, they feature an example from each of the devolved administrations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)
• They include examples only where benefits, outcomes and any unintended consequences have been documented

Use of artificial intelligence (GenAI)

Socitm deployed a paid-for, licensed of Microsoft 365 Copilot to perform the following tasks in the production of Digital Trends:

• Summarising case studies into the format of ‘overview’, ‘challenges’, ‘approach’, ‘outcomes and benefits’ and ‘lessons learnt’
• Analysing case studies to inform the following sections: risks and challenges, where to start and application areas
• Drafting content

Socitm’s research team quality assured and edited all output to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Results

Feedback from those involved in contributing to our analysis indicate that, despite the challenging context, the sector is delivering a phenomenal amount of change, innovation and reform.

Our overriding theme for 2025 is breaking borders – going beyond the constraints of existing cultural, administrative, organisational and structural borders – by harnessing technologies and data across networks, regions and nations.

It is a tough time, with technology outpacing adoption and demands on public services rapidly growing whilst resources, including the availability of digital and IT skills, are constrained. Enthusiasm for new technical opportunity will therefore need to be tempered by the capability and capacity to realise the benefits and to moderate digital risks.

For example, all public bodies continue to be challenged by cyber risks and the need to improve data quality and use. Equally, global events are less predictable and have had a significant national and local impact on public services. Examples include the Covid-19 pandemic, economic downturn and the impact of the war in Ukraine. These types of events create a ripple effect that can disrupt digital plans and require a reset of technology priorities.

This is why we talk about ‘trends’ rather than ‘predictions’. ‘Predictions’ imply some sort of mystical prescience. ‘Trends’ are about enduring change – those digital impacts and technology developments that will, over time, have a lasting effect. Our review of what we got ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ over the past six years demonstrates this enduring feature.

Our distinction

This analysis also continues to distinguish between ‘digital’, ‘technology’ and ‘data’:

• ‘Digital’ is about new ways of working flowing from pervasive technology deployment and data availability. It is less about the ‘IT’ and more about business, process and culture changes.
• ‘Technology’ is about ‘IT management and deployment’ – harnessing new IT, managing supply chains, ensuring IT infrastructure is (and remains) resilient, responsive, accessible and available.
• ‘Data’ is a product of technology and the raw material for generating insights and knowledge that can inform resource allocation and policy making.

The distinction is important – for example, best practice IT management can mask poor digital behaviours, allowing outdated and inefficient business practices to failure to utilise data to inform better decisions.

In particular, terms such as “digital technology” are confusing or even meaningless. Use of the term mistakenly subjugates ‘digital’ to ‘technology’ rather than aligning digital with culture, harnessing data, organisational change and reimagining and redesigning services. The positioning of ‘digital’ is a consideration for public bodies as they consider new leadership models and how to drive benefits realisation.