Almost three-quarters of civil servants polled in a survey have said they share data with other departments.
The proportion of civil servants who told the survey that they share data has increased from 69% two years ago to 74% this year.
The finding comes in a poll conducted by CSW’s sister company Total Research in partnership with data and AI firm SAS.
Nicola Furlong, SAS’s director of public sector health and life sciences, said: “This reflects a positive shift and a growing appreciation for the benefits of data sharing, such as improved service delivery and better decision-making.”
“This isn’t just a blip; it’s a sign of a government evolving to leverage collective data power,” added Caroline Payne, SAS’s pubic sector data and analytics director.
The poll found that the biggest drivers of data sharing were "improving service delivery" and "enhancing decision-making", with 60% of participants saying these were “a primary benefit” of sharing data. Other reasons considered important included: improving collaboration (45%), ensuring better data quality and security (39%) and operational efficiency (38%).
A much lower proportion (34%) of civil servants said they were collaborating with the private sector, which Furlong said means “missed opportunities for broader innovation and operational gains”.
The report says the rise in data sharing “signals a promising shift towards a more cohesive public sector” and that this progress is “critical to building a culture where information flows seamlessly, enabling data-driven decisions that enhance public services and boost citizen satisfaction”.
However, it warns that “a considerable gap persists in collaboration with the private sector – a significant opportunity for government to tap into industry expertise, innovation, and technology, which could fundamentally transform public service delivery.”
The poll also found technological barriers remain a significant challenge to the implementation of data sharing, AI and analytics initiatives. "Outdated infrastructure and legacy systems" was again the most-picked "roadblock", cited by 69% of survey respondents.
The second biggest barrier was "budget restrictions" (51%), and the third most cited was "lack of internal technical knowledge or expertise" (48%).