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The state of play
Government advice on cloud adoption stretches all the way back to 2013, with its Cloud First policy encouraging the use of the cloud in the public sector. Since then, local authority departments have taken to the cloud in varying degrees, dictated by a multitude of factors including budget, need, and the security of sensitive public data.
Today, the cloud is used in almost all government departments to some degree, from supporting the management of highways maintenance and waste disposal to the delivery of care and social housing. Yet, in some cases, authorities appear reluctant (or unable) to fully embrace the efficiencies of the cloud.
This may be due to an overreliance on legacy systems, a lack of funding, or a gap in skills hindering modern working practices. Another reason appears to be a lack of trust in cloud platforms and the safeguarding of public data: according to the latest OneAdvanced Government Trends Report, 24% of government employees feel data held in the cloud is a ‘weak link’ when it comes to the protection of data and systems.
Despite this concern, government appears to be on track when it comes the exclusive use of cloud-based applications. One third (33%) of respondents in local and central government say they use solely cloud platforms in day-to-day operations, a figure comparable to education (37%), manufacturing (31%), and health (33%).
Slow and steady wins the race?
When quizzed on the reliance of on-premise systems, 13% of government respondents report using on-premise as the sole means of delivery, while nearly half (48%) say they use a combination of on-premise and cloud-based applications. Compared to previous OneAdvanced surveys, this represents a small, but meaningful move away from legacy systems: last year, 53% in government told us they used a combination of cloud and on-premise.
This ‘slow and steady’ approach is understandable, especially at a local government level, where wholesale cloud adoption is typically restrained by lack of capacity, insufficient skills and expertise, budget deficits, and funding structures.
However, the push towards the cloud is accelerating, and local authorities must do all they can to keep apace. For practical advice on moving to the cloud, read our blog – Reaching new heights: Cloud adoption for local government.
The case for the cloud
There are a number of good reasons why moving operations to the cloud sooner, rather than later, will be of significant benefit to government organisations. These include:
Upcoming mergers: Government plans to merge all two-tier authorities in England into unitary authorities will bring significant change this year, and to cope with the upheaval, local governments should start building centralised technology infrastructure into strategic planning. The cloud represents the ideal solution – a single platform that is entirely scalable, agile, and accessible.
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The Procurement Act 2023: The OneAdvanced Business Trends Report has revealed that a significant proportion of finance teams across all sectors (37%) are investing in new technology to cope with the demands of the Procurement Act. Centralised platforms such as the cloud deliver seamless integration across departments, and accurate, easily accessible data for reporting and compliance.
Environmental sustainability: The Government Trends Report suggests the cloud is instrumental in helping government departments stay in line with net zero targets. 35% in government say they use the cloud to manage organisational ESG objectives, a figure higher than other public sector bodies, including education (32%) and care (29%). There is, however, some catching up to do: 16% admit to having no ESG strategy in place.
Security: While there are understandable concerns about data held in the cloud, it is generally considered as secure, if not more so, than most on-premise systems. On-premise systems are typically expensive to maintain and keep safe, while sensitive public data can often be better protected by a 3rd party technology provider. In the Government Trends Report, 75% of government respondents say they are ‘mostly’ or ‘very’ confident in the security of their cloud-based technology.
Citizen satisfaction:
According to the State of Digital Government Review published in January 2025, public satisfaction with digital services has fallen from 79% to 68% over the last decade. Many central government services still rely on paper-based methods, while local services are failing accessibility standards – just 24 of the government’s ‘Top 75’ services meet basic requirements. A concerted push to the cloud will help streamline service provision both nationally and locally.
Moving forward
While government efforts to adopt cloud platforms are commendable, there is a pressing need to ramp up efforts to cope with the pressures that lie ahead. Although there are concerns over security, the cloud is considered no less secure than on premise systems; for highly secure data, a hybrid model may be the best approach. By moving the majority of their operations to the cloud, government organisations will be well placed to efficiently deliver the services we all rely on.
If you would like more information and advice on moving to the cloud, please contact one of our support team experts, who will be happy to help. For finance and procurement professionals, we have a dedicated Procurement Act 2023 hub page, offering a wealth of resources to help you navigate the new rules.