The Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) was established in 2017 as a digital-first organisation. That decision – and the ability to do this, as a new organisation – gave us a unique advantage.
Unlike many public sector bodies, we did not have legacy systems or ingrained ways of working to unpick. Instead, we were able to design our services and processes from the ground up, ensuring that digital was embedded in how we operate.
Digital in a public sector context is often misunderstood. It is sometimes reduced to being about automation, online services, or simply buying technology. But the reality is that digital is a way of working. It is about designing services that are simple, efficient, and user-centred. That requires the right skills, the right leadership, and a culture that allows people from different backgrounds to work together effectively.
At the WRA, we have invested heavily in building digital and data capability. More than a third of our workforce are digital and data professionals. That might sound high, but as organisations adapt to the demands of a modern, digital-first world, this proportion will become the norm. Public services must be designed around user needs, and that means having the right mix of skills in place – technology specialists, service designers, customer insight experts, and policy professionals all working together.
Recruiting those skills has not always been easy. When the WRA was established, there were concerns about whether we would be able to attract the right talent. We were a new organisation, operating in a specialist area, in a country that had never previously collected its own taxes. But the opportunity to build something from scratch became our advantage. Being clear about our ambition from the outset helped us attract talent. We also worked closely with partners, including the Centre for Digital Public Services and local universities, to develop the pipeline of skills we needed.
One of the most successful initiatives has been our apprenticeship programme, which allows people from a range of backgrounds to develop digital skills while working with us. Some joined straight from school, while others had experience in different careers before choosing to retrain. Apprenticeships have been vital in helping us to ‘grow our own’ talent, rather than relying solely on external recruitment. And despite initial scepticism about whether apprentices would stay in the organisation, many have.
Developing digital capability is not just about coding or technical expertise. Our focus has been on creating multidisciplinary teams where different specialisms work together. In our service teams, for example, we have policy experts, lawyers, customer service professionals, and Welsh language specialists, all working alongside digital professionals. That combination of skills ensures that services are designed in a way that works for taxpayers, rather than being shaped by organisational silos.
Leadership plays a critical role in making this happen. Digital transformation is not just a technology issue – it is about culture and ways of working. Leaders need to set the conditions that allow teams to collaborate effectively and take an open approach to problem-solving. That includes ensuring that staff have opportunities to learn and develop, and that the organisation is structured in a way that supports innovation.
Looking ahead, the challenge for public sector bodies is not just to adopt digital tools, but to embed digital thinking in how they operate. That means continuously developing skills, ensuring that services are designed around users, and taking an open, collaborative approach to delivery. The experience of the WRA shows what can be achieved when an organisation fully commits to digital from the outset. The next step is to make sure that more public services across Wales can do the same.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Dyfed Alsop
Quelle/Source: Business News Wales, 03.04.2025
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