Roadmap quarterly report: January-March 2026
We are committed to being transparent about progress. This quarterly report sets out what we achieved between January and March 2026, and where we changed our approach based on new information or priorities.
Join up public services
We are transforming how services work and putting users first.
In January, CustomerFirst was launched. This new unit in the Government Digital Service (GDS) will radically transform how critical government services are designed. CustomerFirst has now started its first project with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and further partnerships will be announced soon.
The Cabinet Office launched a public consultation on digital ID, seeking views to ensure that the scheme is as inclusive and accessible as possible. It will now bring together a People’s Panel on digital ID, which will include a diverse group of people to consider different perspectives and debate trade-offs.
Across government, departments continue to improve and expand their digital services. For example, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has expanded the Health Assessment Service to additional assessment providers, making the service more efficient and easier to use.
The wider public sector is also working together to build a truly unified digital government experience. A pilot of local government services in the GOV.UK app was completed in March, and insights from this pilot will inform further expansions to the app. Plans to establish leadership structures between central and local government are now scheduled for Summer 2026, reflecting ongoing work to ensure the foundations for collaboration are strong.
Harness the power of AI for the public good
We are raising the bar on reponsible AI adoption, domestically and internationally.
In January, the UK hosted an international AI in Education Summit, bringing together education leaders to discuss how to develop responsible AI for use in education. Across 2026, DSIT’s incubator for AI (i.AI) and the Department for Education (DfE) will work together to develop education benchmarks and co-design AI tutoring tools. The government recently invited Edtech and AI companies to help build these tutoring tools, with safety at the forefront and a focus on supporting disadvantaged pupils.
The Responsible AI Advisory Panel met for the first time in March. Members heard an address from the Minister of State for Data and Digital Infrastructure, the Rt Hon Ian Murray MP, and discussed how the panel can provide effective advice and constructive challenge.
As this work progresses, we decided to shift our focus away from publishing guidance on procurement for responsible AI, opting instead to use the AI Knowledge Hub to provide a more modern, interactive user experience in one place.
Strengthen and extend our digital and data public infrastructure
We are building secure, resilient foundations to support reliable public services.
In January, government published the Government Cyber Action Plan. This plan sets out clear expectations for how government organisations should manage cyber security and resilience through measurable objectives and outcomes. To further strengthen cyber resilience, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) launched a new programme to provide local authorities with guidance in line with the Cyber Assessment Framework for Local Government. The government has also developed a voluntary Cyber Resilience Pledge which provides a tangible way for organisations to boost their resilience to cyber attacks and differentiate themselves from their competitors.
We are also seeing results from the vulnerability monitoring service, introduced as part of A blueprint for modern digital government. Serious security weaknesses in public sector websites are now fixed six times faster – cutting the average time from nearly two months to just over a week.
Several departments have made substantial progress towards replacing outdated technology. This includes the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), which has closed two additional legacy data centres, and the Ministry of Defence, which is developing its Secret Community Cloud system for working at secret classification levels.
Elevate leadership, invest in talent
We are developing lasting digital and AI capability and strengthening long-term workforce planning.
In early 2026, progress continued on a package of initiatives to attract and retain specialist talent. March saw both the expansion of the AI Accelerator programme, with two new learning programmes for Data Scientists and Software Engineers added, and the launch of the Returnship programme, which brings in technical colleagues who have been out of work for 18 months or more.
Fund for outcomes, procure for growth and innovation
We are reforming how government funds and buys digital services.
Work also continued to change how digital and data work is funded, moving away from short-term, project-based investment and towards models that focus on long‑term outcomes. As priorities were reviewed, the discovery phase for the National Digital Exchange has been re-timed to Summer 2026. Ultimately, this centralised portal will provide access to common digital tools, AI and services, reducing costs and improving the user experience.
Commit to transparency, drive accountability
We are working in the open to build trust in digital government.
GDS is leading by example by starting to share product roadmaps publicly, such as that for GOV.UK Notify. This aims to establish a common practice and encourage joined-up working across government. Additionally, service health metrics have been made visible in the internal central service inventory, creating a clearer view of how government services are performing.
An update on progress tracking metrics
We’ve committed to tracking progress towards our five key aims: easier lives, faster growth, firmer foundations, smarter organisations, and higher productivity and efficiency, by looking at both delivery and outcomes over time.
We are establishing a clear set of progress tracking metrics to help show whether delivery is leading to real improvements. These metrics will focus on outcomes, using the best available data to understand how services, capability and performance are changing. We will publish regular updates using the latest available data, aligning with the quarterly delivery report where possible. Some measures will update less frequently – for example, where they rely on annual official statistics. Find out more here.
At the next quarterly update, we will share an initial set of metrics and outline our timetable for further metrics as data becomes ready to publish.