According to the NAO, the UK Government has developed a strong strategy for adapting to the rapid digitisation of warfare but does not have a complete plan or a clear way to determine if it is on track to deliver the necessary data, technology and skills.

To meet the needs of modern warfare, and enhance its effectiveness and efficiency, the MoD must transform a large and complex organisation with an extensive legacy IT estate, using specialist skills that aren’t readily available.

In 2021, the MoD launched the Digital Strategy for Defence in a bid to transform its use of technology, people, processes and cyber so it can seamlessly share and exploit data.

It’s aim is to allow the MoD to operate more effectively in an era of disruptive technology and evolving security threats. The organisation aims to join up military operations across land, air, sea, space and cyber and work closely with the rest of government, academia, industry, and international partners.

According to the NAO, the Government hasn’t always understood the quality of its data, nor prioritised its use, and has tolerated data that is not fit for purpose. The new strategy addresses this by recognising data as an strategic asset, and that people and processes are as vital as technology to successful digital change.

The MoD’s diagnosis is that its data is hard to access and share, it has gaps in critical skills, its core technology needs updating, and its processes are out of date. Defence Digital estimated it will spend £11.7 billion over 10 years updating or replacing legacy systems, and upgrading to modern replacements will be complex.

The report claims that the nature of the MoD’s business adds additional challenges to implementing the strategy. The MoD has three security classifications – Official, Secret, and Above Secret – which sometimes require separate digital systems. Its technology is used in hostile environments with limited connectivity, such as at sea.

Additionally, the MoD shares data with international partners and must be able to work with their technology and security policies. This adds to the challenge of modernising and integrating technology.

The main concern, as outlined by the report, is that there is no complete plan to implement the strategy, or a clear way of measuring whether it’s on track. Although the MoD has individual plans for workstreams and programmes, it has not brought these together to provide a complete picture of progress.

In 2019-20, Defence Digital completed 76% of its most important delivery milestones – this fell to 57% in 2020-21 during the Covid-19 pandemic, before recovering to 78% in 2021-22. The MoD’s goal is for this to reach 90%. Defence Digital has recognised the weaknesses in its project delivery and is making improvements.

The NAO concluded that the MoD does not have enough people with the right digital skills, which is affecting delivery of the strategy. It finds it hard to recruit and retain talent because it cannot match private sector pay, and because the pay scales available to digital specialists in government vary.

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Technologists see the MoD as bureaucratic and the hiring process – including getting security clearance – as too lengthy. The shortfall of technical skills is affecting the delivery of both individual programmes and the strategy. Defence Digital is trying several approaches to fix its skills gap, but its progress has taken longer than planned, and it requires a different approach to getting what it needs.

Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, said: “The Digital Strategy for Defence aims to transform capabilities through people, technology and data. If implemented successfully, it should support the seamless sharing of data and coordinated decision making needed for modern warfare.

“However, the MoD faces ongoing challenges with its implementation of major technology programmes and acquiring scarce digital skills. The MoD needs a clear plan for prioritising resources to where they are needed most urgently if it is to deliver its ambitions for digital transformation.”

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