Beyond Boundaries: Enabling Devolution with Smarter Digital, Data and Tech
Monday 16th June 2025
Devolution is reshaping local government. Across England and beyond, place-based power is shifting from Whitehall to town halls, with new Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and County Deals increasing local responsibility and accountability. Devolution promises to ignite growth and build an economy that works for everyone.
But how can digital leaders in local government navigate devolution’s challenges while embracing the opportunities?
Backed by IBM and GovNews, Bytes have created a whitepaper exploring how local government organisations can make the most of devolution. This blog shares highlights from the whitepaper, Beyond Boundaries.
The Future of DDaT in a Devolved Landscape
Local government leaders are encouraged to shift their approach to digital, viewing it as a key driver of transformation rather than a barrier. With growing responsibilities and reduced funding—highlighted by a projected £8 billion shortfall by 2028/2029—councils must build strong digital foundations to manage devolved powers effectively. Emphasising efficiency, the FinOps approach offers a major opportunity, as around 30% of cloud spending is currently wasted, presenting potential cost savings without adding pressure to staff.
- Legacy tech
- Data silos
- The skills gap
With digital now integral to policy execution, DDaT maturity has moved from ‘back-office function’ to ‘strategic priority.’
The Art of the Possible: Three DDaT Solutions for Devolved Authorities
1. Optimising Spend with Cloud Management tools
Devolution enables councils to collaborate on strategic decisions and optimise cloud spending across shared services using FinOps tools. These tools, like Apptio Cloudability and IBM Turbonomic, help manage costs across different cloud environments by pooling resources and improving efficiency. Strategic authorities can share infrastructure, optimise spending collectively, and enhance services while reducing costs—supporting innovation, integration, and efficiency without compromising performance or increasing workloads.
2. Connecting Systems with Integration tools
IBM webMethods Hybrid Integration addresses the challenge of disconnected systems by linking applications, data, and services across platforms. This seamless integration improves decision-making, boosts efficiency, and enables AI-driven, data-led services. It supports local governments in achieving devolution goals by allowing teams to work collaboratively across boundaries
3. Scaling Service Delivery with AI Assistants
AI Assistants like IBM’s watsonx Assistant can boost productivity and improve service delivery without overburdening staff by automating routine tasks and providing 24/7 support. Using technologies like retrieval augmented generation (RAG), these virtual assistants streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance both citizen and employee experiences. With pre-built agents for HR, customer service, and procurement, public sector organisations can quickly realise savings and efficiency gains, making devolution more achievable through smarter resource use.
The Risks of Moving Too Fast – or Too Slowly
While devolution brings new freedoms, it also amplifies risks. The devolution whitepaper urges leaders to consider:
- Security and data privacy
- Service fairness and access
- Interoperability
- Financial accountability
Accelerating Digital Maturity with Responsible Innovation
“This period of broader change offers a unique moment in time to consider how to maximise the opportunities of digital, data and technology. By establishing clear foundations, the sector can deliver effective digital, data and technology solutions, empowering the workforce and the communities it serves.”
– Head of Programme, Cyber, Digital and Technology, Local Government Association
Case Studies
Get all the details from 4 case studies in the whitepaper, including:
- Cleaning up the streets with an AI assistant
- Elevating experiences with a virtual AI assistant
- Enabling partnership working with AI-powered integration
- Improving productivity with hybrid integration
Driving Value for Money with FinOps Capabilities
Organisations across the public and private sector are already seeing a return on investment with Apptio Cloudability and IBM Turbonomic, including one large government department that achieved savings of £6 million in less than one year, representing 20% of cloud spend , and another public sector organisation is projecting savings of £5.9 million 9 months into their rollout, representing 30% of their spend.
See more examples in the whitepaper.
Looking to embrace the opportunities of devolution?
Whether your organisation is part of an existing devolution deal or preparing for the next wave, IBM and Bytes can help you build a fit-for-purpose DDaT strategy supporting local priorities and national accountability.
We offer tailored workshops designed for local authorities to explore the art of the possible across FinOps, API integration, and AI.
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