Welsh Government Board meeting: 30 January 2026

• Andrew Goodall (Chair) 
• Carys Williams 
• Aled Edwards 
• Mike Usher 
• Judith Paget 
• Emma Williams 
• Sioned Evans 
• Tracey Burke 
• Jacqueline Totterdell 
• David Richards 
• Dean Medcraft 
• Dom Houlihan 
• Nicola Williams 
• TUS Representative 
• Zakhyia Begum 

In attendance 

• Glyn Jones 
• Sinead Gallagher 
• Carwyn Wycherley 
• Jason Thomas 

Apologies 

• Andrew Slade 
• The Wellbeing of Future Generations Champion 

Secretariat 

• Permanent Secretary’s Office 

1.1 The Chair welcomed all to the meeting and noted the apologies received. No conflicts of interest were declared. The notes of the Board meeting on 12 December were agreed.

1.2 The Chair provided an overview of the recent issues concerning the Civil Service Pension Scheme and the cross-government response to address the situation. Dean Medcraft provided an overview of the arrangements to support staff experiencing financial hardship as a result of the delay in payments and steps being taken to ensure appropriate safeguards and clarity on liability are in place. The Board noted the impact on former staff and the need for the compassionate handling of cases.

1.3 The Chair reflected on recent global events and noted the impact of the increasingly volatile context on Wales. The Board discussed risks to the economy and community cohesion in Wales.

1.4 The Chair reflected on inter-government relations noting challenges over timely engagement and communication from UK Government, limiting the ability to influence decisions affecting devolved responsibilities.

1.5 The Chair noted the approval by the Senedd of the Welsh Government Final Budget for 2026-27.

1.6 Looking ahead to the Senedd elections in May, the Chair noted the opportunity for the organisation to reset its ways of working and reminded the Board of Civil Service neutrality and preparedness to serve the government of the day.

1.7 The Chair welcomed the positive response from Welsh Government staff to the One Big Thing AI for All training. The Board noted the challenge in funding Copilot licences for staff, as current budgets do not allow for universal access.

2.1 The Chair welcomed Glyn Jones, Chief Digital Officer to the meeting and invited him to present on the Corporate Risk Register entry on delivering modern policies and services designed around customers and our staff. The Board was asked to note the risk and the current and planned activity taken to mitigate the risk as well as act as advocates for digital, data and technology.

2.2 Glyn noted that digital transformation is ongoing and critical to delivering efficient public services and positive staff experiences. Challenges include workforce capacity, funding, cultural barriers, and the need for strategic investment in digital infrastructure and skills. The integration of the Centre for Digital Public Services into Welsh Government was highlighted as a key opportunity to strengthen leadership and capability in this area. Glyn noted the tension between maintaining existing services and freeing up time to innovate and stressed the importance of funding digital transformation as a part of service delivery.

2.3 Jacqueline Totterdell noted the benefits greater use of AI could bring to clinical services in the NHS but stressed that the introduction of new technologies is not a stand-alone activity but needs to be part of a planned and well-structured change programme.

2.4 Dean Medcraft supported the direction of travel outlined in the paper and noted that transforming corporate services calls for cultural change and not just changes to IT systems.

2.5 Emma Williams referenced the excellent work being undertaken in the Education, Culture and Welsh Language Group but called for a different approach to accessing centralised specialist support. Emma noted the challenges in resourcing large-scale digital projects.

2.6 Sioned Evans highlighted the importance of early planning in policy development to incorporate digital considerations early on, avoiding last-minute technology solutions and the cultural shift needed to bring about change. Sioned noted the role that governance structures can play in promoting cultural changes within the organisation.

2.7 Mike Usher commented that he was encouraged by the paper but noted the barriers, real and perceived to achieving change, highlighting the importance of encouraging staff to be proactive in sharing good practice. Reflecting on the mitigations described in the paper, Mike queried that while they would achieve the target risk score is there a need to revisit the risk appetite.

2.8 Carys Williams queried how best to translate the enthusiasm evidenced in the discussion to action following the meeting. Carys suggested having champions for digital transformation across the organisation, with a particular focus on the professions, for example policy or finance, to ensure that digital solutions are considered from the outset. Glyn agreed and noted the action to report back to Board on progress.

2.9 Zakhyia Begum noted that Shadow Board had raised very similar points to those made by Board.

2.10 The Chair thanked all for their comments and noted the challenge in attracting the scale of investment needed to achieve the ambitions for digital transformation.

3.1 The Chair welcomed Sinead Gallagher and Carwyn Wycherley to the meeting and invited them to present the latest Programme for Government (PfG) Update. There are
284 commitments in the PfG and most have been completed or are on track, with ongoing efforts to close out remaining items. The Counsel General is undertaking a further round of meetings with Cabinet colleagues, and the outcomes of these meetings will inform a further Cabinet paper to agree the final position on Programme for Government delivery for the current term.

3.2 Sinead reflected on the lessons learned from delivering the current PfG noting the importance of clear outcome definitions, early engagement with ministers on their expectations, streamlined commitments, and balancing program priorities with business-as-usual activities. The benefits of a focused approach on a small number of key priorities were highlighted.

3.3 The Board recognised the significant efforts from staff that have underpinned delivery across the PfG and the benefits of regular ministerial challenge, led by the Minister for Delivery, in unlocking issues.

3.4 Looking ahead to the new Senedd term, Carys Williams highlighted the importance of setting the appropriate conditions for effective delivery, while Mike Usher noted the need to managing expectations, particularly in the face of potential calls for quick wins.

3.5 Judith Paget reminded Board of the importance of maintaining focus on long term priorities such as the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act alongside delivery of PfG commitments.

3.6 Emma Williams noted the benefit of having dedicated delivery leads as they have brought increased focus and challenge but without duplicating departmental accountability. However, the approach is resource-intensive and therefore suitable only for a small number of top priorities.

4.1 Jason Thomas updated Board on plans for Wales to host a stage of the 2027 Tour de France and six matches during EURO 2028 at the National Stadium of Wales (Principality Stadium). Jason noted that these “mega events" require extensive cross-government and local authority collaboration and that both events have secured cross-party support to ensure continuity regardless of any political change.

4.2 Carys Williams welcomed the paper and asked for further assurance on the reputational risks associated with hosting these events, exploring controls and mitigations being put in place to manage the risk. Carys also asked for assurance on the return on investment and legacy planning.

4.3 Mike Usher raised the potential for organised protests and local frustration associated with the events and asked for assurance on the mitigations to address these risks.

4.4 Sioned Evans asked for assurance that all relevant teams within Welsh Government are being engaged with, including Legal Services and Central Finance.

4.5 Emma Williams noted the opportunity the events offer to promote the Welsh language and the need for the Welsh Language team in Welsh Government to be involved in the planning. Emma also highlighted the opportunity the events offer for students in the further and tertiary education sector studying relevant subjects e.g. tourism, events management to gain valuable experience and the opportunity to form partnerships with FE colleges, particularly along the route of the Tour de France.

4.6 The Chair thanked all for their contributions and noted the action for Jason to report back to Board on the points raised.

5.1 Owing to time constraints this item was cancelled and the Chair suggested that the Non-executive Directors receive an update following the meeting.

6.1 Carys Williams requested a copy of the forward plan for Board meetings. No items of any other business were raised. Board will next meet on 13 March.