Ministers call for national taskforce to ‘urgently’ reform AI procurement

Local government contracts are suffering from confusing guidance, legislative obstacles, data issues and skills shortages. 

According to research from the Ada Lovelace Institute, ‘significant’ problems have been identified in how councils are procuring artificial intelligence. 

With no single entity overseeing how local government is adopting a rapidly developing, still emerging set of technologies, the organisation believes a fixed-term central body would help unite public and private sector specialists. As a result, reforms would be ‘holistic’ and ‘joined-up’. 

A taskforce should be established to provide clarity on regulatory documents, and ensure legislation is consistent and practicable. The institute also adds that there are now overarching metrics for measuring success of AI implementation across councils. In turn, this will facilitate more efficient and effective procurement nationally, and inform policy. 

‘Private sector technologies are rapidly being rolled out across the public sector, but without a joined-up approach and with little oversight or transparency,’ said Imogen Parker, Associate Director at the Ada Lovelace Institute. 

‘This is why we’re calling for a national taskforce to bring together a broad cross-section of perspectives and expertise to help deliver urgent reforms that will ensure local government procurement is fit for the AI era,’ she continued. 

The study adds to a gloomy outlook for public sector digitisation, digitalisation and technological transformation. In May, we reported on how 65% of public organisations have no overriding tech strategy in place. Then in May the PublicTechnology Local Government Digital Transformation Report revealed that just 37% of senior public sector executives consider themselves to be ‘very engaged’ with digital in their workplace, and just 13% if staff would say the same about local councillors. 

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