Skills and Education

GovCamp Cymru 2025: building the future of public services in Wales together

What a brilliant day at GovCamp Cymru! The energy, generosity, and curiosity in every room was infectious, and proof that when you bring together people who care about public services in Wales, good ideas flow fast. We pitched and ran a packed session on ‘A vision for public services in Wales’. Around 40 people joined us to explore what great public service delivery could look like, and what’s holding us back. What we heard: a shared vision.

We learned the language of digital. Now it’s time to learn the practice.

I’ve spent most of my career helping teams move from talking about user-centred design (UCD) to actually doing it, often as part of digital transformation programmes. And one thing I’ve learned is this: transformation doesn’t stall because people don’t care. It stalls because we treat “digital” as technology, rather than a way of working and thinking.

A call to action

Wales can’t afford to fall further behind. This is more than digital reform. It’s how we build a more resilient, responsive Wales — one that works for everyone, for generations to come. The choice is clear. Stay stuck. Or lead the way.

Delivering a new National Care and Support Service

The government has committed to creating a National Care and Support Service over the next decade, with full implementation from 2029. But a rigid, long-term plan risks being overtaken by events. A better way is to accelerate delivery by combining clear political intent with practical, test and learn reform.

High-level planning reform

Wales faces significant challenges in housing, infrastructure, climate change and public health. Yet the planning system – anchored in local development plans – is struggling to respond. Many local plans are outdated, the process for updating them is long and complex, and both communities and businesses find it hard to engage. Wrexham’s recent high-profile planning dispute illustrates the risks.

Invest in modern skills and expertise - How we get there

Better public services start with the right people. Modern, user-centred services require skills that still aren’t widespread across the Welsh public sector – especially in user research, service design, content design, delivery management and engineering.

Transforming public services for a modern Wales

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.

Who we are

We’re a collective of digital transformation and design experts with decades of experience leading change across Welsh public services and UK Government.

Why this matters

Welsh public services haven’t kept up. Technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect with the world. People expect public services to be simple, fast, and user-friendly – just like everything else in their lives. But too often, government services are slow, clunky, and frustrating.