Transforming public services for a modern Wales
In 2026, Wales will elect a new Senedd – bigger, and for the first time, chosen entirely through proportional representation.
It’s unlikely one party will win enough seats to form a majority government. For whichever parties form a coalition, this is a chance to reimagine how our public services can better serve people, strengthen our economy, protect the environment, and secure our future.
The next government will inherit tough challenges: long NHS waiting lists, pressure to grow the economy, challenging net zero targets, rising child poverty, house-building. It will need to deliver visible improvements to people quickly, but this is challenged by existing siloed ways of working, poorly designed services, and a slow pace of delivery. The recent Spending Review makes clear: funding is going down, not up. Hard choices lie ahead.
For too long, we’ve relied on short-term fixes and sticking plasters to keep vital services running. A bit more money here. A reshuffle there. But this is not enough to deal with the scale of the challenges Wales faces.
We keep the same people in positions of power, closing the door to new talent in leadership. We use the same approaches to designing and delivering services, repeating the same mistakes over and over again.
It’s time to break the cycle of crisis management. We need to plan for the long term. That means rethinking how government works – not just what it delivers, but how.
As devolution has given Wales more power, we have not grown our capacity to deliver that change. We must now build the state’s capacity to manage it for a more vibrant, successful Wales.
We need a digital approach
Digital isn’t just about technology. It’s about how we design, deliver, and run services. Done well, it transforms how change happens.
Instead of starting with what a health board or government agency thinks people need, digital starts with researching and understanding real needs – grounded in the lives of people and communities across Wales.
It means working in small, cross-functional teams. Testing small ideas early. Learning what works. Scaling what helps. It means focusing on outcomes, not outputs – and being open about what’s working and what’s not.
This approach helps government spot problems earlier and fix them faster. It reduces waste. It builds services that are simpler, quicker, and more inclusive.
Done right, digital helps public services do more with less – and builds trust along the way.
Our vision for the present and the future
This report outlines a strategy for transforming Welsh public services, not only to meet the urgent demands of the present but to deliver on the vision of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. We can ensure a prosperous, resilient, healthier, and more equal Wales for current and future generations.
The choice for the next Welsh Government is profound: to continue with short-term fixes and inherited frustrations, or to commit to genuine transformation. A transformation that brings together arms-length bodies, local government and the NHS to deliver for Wales.