As the dust settles on the 2024 UK General Election with a decisive victory for the Labour Party, attention turns to how their mandate for change will take shape. At the heart of their agenda is the concept of mission-driven government - an approach aimed at tackling complex societal challenges through coordinated, cross-departmental action. 

But what does this mean in practice, and how can innovative ways of working and emerging technologies drive this transformation? To explore this question, I spoke with Ryan Shea, Managing Director of PUBLIC, about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as the new government seeks to enhance how it operates, delivers public services, supports SMEs, and drives economic growth - all key pillars of their manifesto. 

“We welcome the concept of a mission driven government” Ryan begins. “Many of the assets that need to be harnessed to solve the public sector’s biggest challenges sit across different layers and corners of government. Take tackling violence against women and girls, for instance. Increasing court case attendance by victims of domestic abuse and providing supporting services demands significant coordination between the justice system, health system, and local government. The real challenge preventing success lies in how effectively the government can integrate digital tools, data, and design thinking to serve these strategic missions and deliver lasting change.” 

Ryan outlines three critical steps needed to make this vision work: 

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1. “The first step is taking a use-case driven approach to missions,” Ryan explains. “We need to identify tangible, pressing issues to solve today that can rally individuals and departments around a common cause. We saw the power of this when working with HMG on the Better Outcomes Through Linked Data programme, demonstrating how focusing on specific challenges, like improving support for vulnerable groups, can drive meaningful cooperation across different government bodies and agencies, as they can see how their combined efforts contribute to clear outcomes.” 
2. Ryan emphasises the importance of building versatile teams. “We’re big believers that true public transformation requires diverse skill sets working in unison. We’ve seen this in action with Ministry of Defence units like DSTL and JHUB, where technologists, policy experts and domain specialists collaborate to solve complex problems. In our projects across the NHS, this approach is even more essential. When rolling out Electronic Patient Records, having clinicians work alongside IT specialists helped better mitigate risks in advance of technology implementation to make sure it truly served both staff and patients’ needs.”
3. “Improving system and data quality is non-negotiable for delivering on cross-departmental missions,” Ryan points out. “Labour’s proposed National Data Library aligns well with this need, especially in areas like healthcare and welfare, where a shift towards predictive public services could help move us from reacting to crises to using data in order to prevent them.” To achieve this, Ryan explains, “we need better data cleaning and sharing capabilities across departments. Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) can play a seismic role in empowering departments to uphold their data stewardship responsibilities while still unlocking powerful use cases. The government should build on the strides made by the Government Digital Service and the Centre for Digital and Data Office to create more user and citizen-centric services. While public sector requirements differ, there’s so much to learn from the private sector’s approach to omnichannel customer touchpoints in reimagining service delivery.” 

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Simplifying procurement and supporting SMEs

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Labour’s manifesto also calls out its commitment to simplifying procurement and supporting small businesses. Ryan sees this as one of the most important areas for driving innovation and growth. 

“First, we need to put real force behind commercial objectives that bring more SMEs and innovative suppliers into government supply chains,” he says. “Central government has missed its target of 1 in 3£s going to SME suppliers through direct award. Government has the opportunity to do so much more around direct spending going to SME providers through novel procurement methods.  Challenge Programmes, for instance, can help de-risk working with SMEs by allowing government to better understand and demo solutions before committing public money.”

He also emphasises the need for better monitoring of large suppliers. “Too often, innovative SMEs are included in bids to meet tender requirements but then are sidelined once the contract is awarded. This not only undermines the spirit of the procurement process, but also stifles innovation and growth in the SME sector.” 

He continues, “We need to look closely at how much of the money going through later suppliers actually reaches innovative SMEs in the supply chain. This requires more effective monitoring and enforcement. I’d suggest commercial teams conduct regular audits on large programmes, and we should consider specifying targets or incentives for the inclusion of SMEs in the actual delivery of work. That way, commitment to supporting SMEs translates into real opportunities, not just checkbox exercises during the bidding process.” 

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Building innovation partnerships

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On the topic of building innovation partnerships, Ryan outlines two key considerations: 

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1. Expanding the ecosystem: “First, we need to grow the tent. Government must understand that SMEs operate in an ecosystem that includes partners, vendors, academics, investors, and more. When building innovation relationships, we bring together people from a wide range of backgrounds and disciplines to ensure a holistic approach is taken to problem-solving.”
2. Clarity of intention: “Second, clarity of intention is crucial. If the government wants to work with a broader and more effective set of suppliers to achieve its ambitions, it needs to clearly communicate its department’s buying priorities. Often, the best solutions sit outside Whitehall. For instance, when PUBLIC ran a startup programme for the Ministry of Justice to help prison leavers, many relevant solutions came from adjacent industries.” 

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Balancing growth and protection 

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The incoming government’s plan to create a Regulatory Innovation Office underscores the growing challenge regulators face in keeping pace with rapidly evolving technologies. This initiative aims to strike a balance between fostering innovation whilst protecting public interests. 

Drawing on PUBLIC’s extensive experience working with the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport on the Online Safety Bill, Ryan offered some insights on this balancing act. “When assessing AI solutions to detect harmful content on platforms, we developed test suites that not only measured overall efficacy but also to combat risks of bias, checked for performance deviations in text and language sourced from individuals with protected characteristics,” he explains. “This approach allowed us to test how well a solution performed overall, as well as for diverse citizen user groups, ensuring wherever possible progress was accounted for more vulnerable groups.” 

Ryan’s key takeaway? “Fight the knee-jerk reaction to ban things you don’t understand. Instead, invest in robust testing to build user confidence,” he argues. “ By embracing agile and design thinking principles to test, iterate, and improve on solutions, regulators can create an environment that encourages innovation while maintaining necessary safeguards.” 

The success of the Regulatory Innovation Office will hinge on its ability to help regulators of all sizes and remits address capability gaps, enhance their strategies, and optimise resources. In turn, positioning the UK as a leader in regulatory innovation, driving economic growth while acting in favour of public protection in an increasingly digital world. 

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A Whole-Systems Approach

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Finally, I asked Ryan about PUBLIC’s mission-driven approach to creating public services that deliver lasting change. 

“We take a whole systems approach,” Ryan explains. “A great strategy fails without good tooling. Great tooling cannot be achieved without a healthy supply chain and awareness of what the market has to offer. And perhaps most importantly, even the best strategy and world class tooling are useless without an empowered and educated workforce.” 

To address these challenges, PUBLIC has developed a set of targeted capabilities: 

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• Strategy and Transformation: “We help teams develop strategies to navigate the complex intersection of policy, regulation, and technology to make sure that when we use new technology, it aligns with policy objectives and regulatory requirements.” 

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• Digital, Data, and Technology:  “Our team works directly on building digital services and advising on technical best practices. This hands-on experience allows us to understand the practical challenges of implementing digital solutions in a government context.” 

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• Startup and Challenge Programmes: “This is where we bring fresh thinking into focus. We educate on the latest innovations and provide routes to market for innovative solution providers. It’s been our mission since day one to bridge the gap between startups and government.”  

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• Commercial Spend and Impact:  “In times of fiscal constraint, it’s crucial that every pound spent delivers real value,” Ryan notes. “We help government optimise commercial processes and measure the impact of technology investments to prove they are making a tangible difference for civil servants and citizens alike.” 

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• Learning and Workforce Transformation:  “At the end of the day, it’s people who make technology work. We focus on training teams across central and local government to embrace best practices and tools from the digital economy.” 

Ryan wraps up, “The UK faces huge challenges - from economic instability and NHS pressures to climate change and evolving security threats. So yes, a mission-driven government sounds great on paper. But for the new government to deliver on its mandate for change faster and with more accuracy, it has to change how it operates, makes decisions, and delivers services. Our experience shows that addressing strategy, technology, innovation, commercial practices, and workforce transformation in tandem can accelerate the creation of a more responsive, efficient, and citizen-centric government that solves today’s problems and is prepared for whatever comes next.” 

The path from vision to reality for mission-driven government is complex, requiring more than political will alone. As Labour’s first 100 days unfold, setting the tone for their agenda of public sector reform, green technology investment, and much more, PUBLIC will be spotlighting opportunities to guide this transformation. 

Join us weekly for our “Leading with Innovation” series, where we’ll be diving into key aspects of the Labour Party’s manifesto and offering practical insights to help navigate this new era of public service delivery. Want to find out more about how we can turn promise into reality? Explore our expertise and insights today. 

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