The Human Side of Waste in Government
What civil servants told us about frustration, friction and the work that gets in the way of meaningful delivery.
Government’s renewed focus on efficiency comes at a critical point. Despite years of digital transformation, many services still rely on tired systems, bureaucratic processes, and duplicated effort. The new departmental efficiency plans are a chance to break this cycle.
Departments are under pressure to deliver more with less, with plans aiming for billions in annual savings by 2028–29. Digital reform is central: HMRC expects nearly half its efficiencies from IT modernisation, DWP more than half from digital improvements, and MHCLG about 90% from workplace and digital reform. This is promising, but experience shows that headline commitments alone rarely deliver lasting efficiencies.
At Hitachi Solutions, we work alongside departments and agencies every day, and see where waste actually lives. It hides in repeated work, pointless approvals, disconnected systems, and the fatigue from navigating complexity. Waste drains both money and motivation, keeping skilled staff from what matters most.
That human cost drove us to explore this issue in depth. Our roundtables and survey brought together government voices who described frustration with change happening in the wrong places – technology applied to broken processes, or automation accelerating the wrong work. One participant said: “We automated a triage step that no one could justify. Now it just gets people to the wrong place faster.”
Others pointed out a measurement problem: efficiency is often measured by volume – cases closed, claims processed – while more meaningful metrics like time returned to staff rarely appear. As one operations lead put it: “Saving people an hour a day isn’t on the balance sheet, but it’s the most human efficiency we can offer.” Without such measures, real progress is hard to see.
Our research shows departments that use digital reform as service redesign achieve lasting value. Those treating technology as a layer on top of old systems risk perpetuating waste. Efficiency requires clarity, empowered leadership, and permission to stop outdated work – conditions that are still rare.
The government’s efficiency plans signal the right priorities – modernisation, shared services, automation, smarter data – but say little about measuring success, adapting governance, or addressing duplication. Few mention stopping or consolidating processes, or the cultural change needed to build trust.
This report aims to support the conversation and action. It compares the intent of government efficiency plans with what actually works and identifies where more depth is needed to avoid repeating past reform cycles. Efficiency is not just cost-cutting – it’s about releasing time, improving service, and building sustainable systems.
We hope this research helps bridge the gap between ambition and outcome. Waste elimination is easy to describe but tough to sustain. It requires new tools, better measurement, and leadership. If the current efficiency drive focuses on those fundamentals, it stands a better chance of lasting change.
At Hitachi Solutions, we believe efficiency should mean fewer barriers, clearer decisions, and more time for meaningful work. That’s what we help departments build. This report is our contribution to an issue that matters for every public servant, taxpayer, and citizen.
