The Government Transformation Summit is one of the UK’s leading events for public sector leaders, policymakers, digital practitioners and delivery teams. Held annually, it brings together people from across the government to explore how services can be improved through better use of digital, data and design.

This year’s summit focused on the practical challenges and possibilities of delivering modern public services. Across keynote talks, panel sessions and open table discussions, there was a shared commitment to improving outcomes for users while making government more efficient, responsive and resilient.

Hippo joined the summit to listen, learn and contribute to conversations that moved beyond ambition and into the real conditions that shape delivery. And while the direction of travel was clear, a quieter, more persistent message ran through the day.

We can’t deliver on strategy alone. The right environment matters just as much as the plan.

What we heard about making things work

The day opened with a keynote from Andrew Western, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transformation at the Department for Work and Pensions. In his role leading transformation within one of the UK’s largest departments, he spoke about the opportunity to modernise services through better use of digital and AI, aiming to improve outcomes for citizens while reducing operational costs across government.

At DWP, some of this work is already underway. Examples include the delivery of Targeted Case Review programme, a large-scale review of Universal Credit claims designed to prevent people falling into debt and ensure they receive the right level of support. Since expanding the programme last year, DWP has reviewed over one million claims and blocked more than £1 billion in incorrect payments. Alongside this, changes to the Child Maintenance Service that have saved staff over 900,000 hours through improved messaging and streamlined processes. A cross-department AI sprint is helping shape the roadmap for wider transformation, and DWP is contributing to three of the Government Digital Service’s flagship projects under the £3.25 billion transformation fund.

None of this is about one-off pilots or abstract plans. It reflects a shift towards more practical, joined-up efforts that can actually support delivery at scale.

But ambition alone isn’t enough

While the vision laid out in the opening keynote was clear and confident, the conversations that followed brought us back to the realities of delivery.

Joanne Rowland, Director General at the Home Office, brought a grounded perspective to the day. While there has been clear progress across departments she spoke candidly about the structural challenges that still slow things down. Government, she said, is not built for Agile. And that is exactly why it needs to change.

Legacy systems, siloed processes and rigid funding models continue to create friction. Even when the strategy is sound and teams are capable the environment often makes it harder than it needs to be. Transformation work ends up being layered on top of outdated foundations rather than fully supported by them.

She also spoke about talent. Not in terms of recruitment targets or salary bands but in terms of what actually makes a role feel meaningful. For many people, it is about trust, autonomy and the space to try new things. The public sector already offers work with real impact. The task now is to build the conditions where that impact feels possible.

Delivery needs more than direction

Hippo sponsored this year’s summit with a focus on one of the most pressing challenges in government delivery. How to accelerate at the right pace. Our working group sessions explored what it really takes to deliver faster without losing sight of quality, and what gets in the way when speed becomes the goal without the right support around it.

The sessions were led by Kayliegh Sugden, Client Director, and Elisse Jones, Principal Delivery Lead. Together they helped create space for open discussion about the conditions that enable delivery to move at a sustainable pace.

The conversations that followed built on many of the themes raised earlier in the day. Around the tables there was a shared sense of urgency and ambition but also a recognition that ambition alone is not enough.

Teams spoke openly about the pressures they face. It was not just about delivery speed but about the conditions that make sustainable pace possible. Clear ownership. Aligned funding. Flexibility in planning. And space to stay focused on value.

Several conversations circled back to the same idea. That clarity around priorities and permission to work in modern ways often matters more than new tools or frameworks. When teams are forced to work around old processes rather than with supportive ones the cost is not just time. It makes it harder to build momentum and keep moving forward with confidence.

How better environments are unlocking better delivery

One of the panel discussions returned to a question that many delivery teams are familiar with. Is it possible to improve outcomes for users while also increasing efficiency and supporting the people doing the work?

The conversation made a strong case that these goals are not in conflict. In practice, they are often connected.

We heard examples of AI being used to reduce admin so staff can spend more time with the people they are there to support. Teams shared how better use of data is helping them make quicker decisions and design more joined-up services.

None of this was framed as finished. But there was a sense that progress is being made. And that with the right foundations, it is possible to improve how services work and how it feels to deliver them.

What the day made clear

What stood out most across the day was the honesty. These were not conversations about promises or slogans. They were about the practical realities of doing meaningful work in complex settings.

People shared where they were making progress and where they were still facing barriers. There was no sense of quick fixes. But there was a clear willingness to keep going and to stay focused on what really matters — designing services that work better for the people who need them.

That kind of progress depends on more than ideas. It depends on the environment around the work and the relationships that make it possible.

We are grateful to everyone who took the time to talk with us and share what they are working through. It was a reminder that good delivery takes more than direction. It takes space, honesty and a shared commitment to doing the work well.