Following replacement of initiative with alternative scheme focused on ‘deeper transformation’, detail is provided on progress made since 2022, including five services given top marks in the last few weeks

The recently closed programme to uplift scores of government’s widely used services to a defined ‘great’ standard saw 29 services achieve such a designation.

The initiative was launched as part of the three-year government digital and data roadmap set out in 2022. The intention enshrined in that plan was that 50 of the 75 citizen services defined as government’s most critical would achieve a ‘great’ standard, as ranked against a consistent set of metrics that included high rates of digital adoption and completion, as well as user satisfaction.

As the roadmap neared its conclusion – and as part of plans unveiled last month for the new and expanded Government Digital Service – government recently announced that it would “close the Top 75 programme in favour of a focus on catalysing deeper service transformation”.

Replacing the previous roadmap, a newly issued ‘Blueprint for modern digital government’ suggested that 24 services had been certified as great.

In a further update provided this week, digital economy and online safety  minister Baroness Maggie Jones indicated that, while the 50 target had not been met, a further tranche of services had achieved the top-tier standard before the formal cessation of the top 75 project.

“The secretary of state for science, innovation and technology has provided a report to the Public Accounts Committee on the closure of the 2022-25 roadmap,” she said. “The report indicates that 29 of the Top 75 Services have reached the ‘great’ standard, an increase from eight ‘great’ services at baselining.”

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The minister reiterated that ongoing efforts to improve citizen services will be led by a unit created in GDS with remit to try and bridge departmental and wider public sector boundaries and deliver more joined-up citizen services. This team will focus initially on support for those with long-term health conditions. Going forward, its work will closely align with the five missions of the Labour government, and will also be informed by a further strategic outline for the state’s use of AI and digital.

“The Government Digital Service has established a Service Transformation team to drive delivery of the next phase of service transformation work set out in Blueprint for Modern Digital Government, building on the learnings from the Top 75 Services Programme,” Jones said. “As set out in the Blueprint, the government will develop a detailed Government Digital and AI Roadmap alongside the second phase of the Spending Review, to be published in summer 2025. This will supersede the 2022-2025 Roadmap, and will include details of how we plan to measure progress through the next phase of digital transformation.”

The minister’s comments were made in response to a written parliamentary question from Conservative MP Lord Theodore Agnew.

Having begun with eight services ranked as great, by October 2023 15 services had met the top standard. A further nine did so during 2024, before five more seemingly hit the mark in the closing days of the Top 75 scheme.