Local public service providers use Digital Trends 2026 to shape their conversations and strategies.
These trends are not technology initiatives. They’re leadership issues.
Socitm is delighted today (Wednesday 28 January) to launch its Public Sector Digital Trends 2026 (Digital Trends).
Digital Trends is more than just a reference guide. It’s a trusted resource to support people and teams using digital, technology, and data (DDaT).
This year’s research marks a shift to a practical, year-long programme designed to bring politicians and public service leaders together around shared digital priorities.
As DDaT continue to reshape how our local public services are delivered, leaders face mounting pressure to improve outcomes, manage risk, and build public trust – often in complex political and financial environments.
Digital Trends 2026 responds by providing common ground, shared language and scalable approaches that can be applied across organisations and places.
“This year’s Digital Trends is about creating space for better conversations; between elected members and officers, between digital specialists and service leaders, and between organisations facing similar challenges. By focusing on practical, scalable priorities across the year, we can move forward together with confidence and clarity.“
Kurt Frary, Socitm President and Heat of IT/CTO at Norfolk County Council
At its core, Digital Trends 2026 challenges organisations to go from legacy to leadership – cultural, organisational and structural – and to align political ambition with operational reality.
Public sector digital leadership is no longer about isolated initiatives. It’s about making joined-up decisions that recognise the interdependencies between technology, data, people and place. Digital Trends 2026 is deliberately practical, giving leaders a shared framework to strengthen resilience, improve services, and deliver real value.
Nadira Hussain, Chief Executive, Socitm
Access the full report and explore its recommendations.
For more information or interviews please email David Ogden at david.ogden@socitm.net.
About Socitm
The Society for Innovation, Technology, and Modernisation is a membership charity for people working in UK local public services. We support members with our philosophy to simplify, standardise, share and sustain best practice wherever we find it. Bringing what works into members’ teams, places and communities.
Socitm is the only UK member of LOLA, the Organisation of Local Authority ICT Societies. LOLA includes organisations from Australia, Belgium, Canada, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, UK and USA.
Note for editors
The 2026 programme will focus on five priority areas released across the year, each supported by targeted engagement and deep-dive activity:
- January: Cyber security
- March: Ways of working
- May: Data
- September: Artificial intelligence
- November: Digital inclusion
Use of artificial intelligence (GenAI)
We have deployed a paid-for, licensed version of Microsoft 365 Copilot to perform the following tasks in the production process 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.
All output has been quality assured and edited by Socitm’s research team to ensure accuracy and relevance.
