Reimagining productivity in the civil service

After identifying GenAI as an enabler of productivity, the Deloitte team was tasked with exploring the efficacy of M365 Copilot as one of the client’s chosen solutions to address enterprise productivity challenges.

This included reviewing the potential impact of using M365 Copilot in specific roles, including HR, finance, executive support, policy and strategy, and project delivery.

Initially, the client’s people had an important question: was GenAI safe to use within a government environment?

This meant AI assurance and the development of governance frameworks to ensure the safe use of Copilot with sensitive data were vital elements of the project.

Finally, the team aimed to build an approach to scale adoption in the event further rollout was directed across the organisation, to make the most of the potential opportunity.

Before beginning the transformation, the organisation was eager to have the support of its internal stakeholders.

To bring them onboard, we tested and evidenced the potential risks associated with GenAI use, addressing concerns around data access, security and governance.

We were also tasked with communicating the full range of M365 Copilot’'s capabilities and identifying where in the workforce GenAI could have the most impact.

By establishing confidence in the technology, we helped M365 Copilot move quickly through IT governance.

A trial then measured the impact both on productivity and wellbeing for a diverse group of 500 employees.

An exploration of the potential impact of Copilot in the context of day-to-day tasks found it offered the opportunity to release staff from mundane and manual tasks, enabling them to focus on higher-value, strategic work.

Through the project’s discovery and trial phases, we examined how the tech could help tackle core tasks and enhance workforce efficiency by:

        • Giving time back to end users: The client’s board secretariat team stated that M365 Copilot improved their minute-taking, record-production and action-tracking processes significantly, reducing content generation times by days.

        • Reducing administrative and analytical burden: In one of the client’s operational teams, Copilot was used to automate document summarisation, draft communications and analyse data, reducing cognitive load and allowing more time for strategic planning.

        • Improving agility and responsiveness: The client’s commercial function was able to automate contract analysis, scrutiny report drafting, and workflow tracking to accelerate procurement processes and improve team efficiency.

Beyond productivity, the project aimed to improve workplace sentiment. By giving staff tools to manage information more efficiently, the organisation began to foster more sustainable work practices.

Surveys showed that employees feel more supported and better equipped to balance priorities.

In just 15 months, Deloitte supported the client from discovery to delivery. What began as a cautious trial evolved into a full programme, with a clear plan for moving from 5,000 users to 20,000.

With our help, the client was then able to apply lessons learnt to authorise GenAI tools for over 209,000 people across the organisation, using Copilot via the web.

Following the roll-out, 70% of employees reported a positive impact on their wellbeing at work.

By reducing the time spent on mundane, manual tasks, AI has enabled people to focus on more important – and more rewarding – projects.

They feel more supported, and the organisation is better equipped to modernise, showing that with the right guardrails and evidence, innovation can thrive in the most complex and security-sensitive environments.