Using a mission-led approach to transform government delivery and tackle Wales’ grand challenges
Wales faces a systemic and wicked set of challenges. This major new IWA report seeks to inform how we can set up devolved government to tackle them, and bring about a brighter future.
Authored by IWA Co-director Joe Rossiter, Cenhadaeth Cymru: Mission Wales makes recommendations for how, in the lead up to the Senedd elections in 2026, parties seeking to be elected to government can set it up to perform better. The paper explores the concept of mission-driven government as a means to transform government delivery in the Welsh devolved context.
25 years into Wales’ ongoing devolution journey, now is the time to rethink how devolved government can achieve ambitious transformations in our collective wellbeing. This represents the start of a conversation on the trade-offs inherent in governing at the devolved level and how we can empower Welsh Government to connect to the major issues holding back living standards and our wellbeing.
25 years into Wales’ ongoing devolution journey, now is the time to rethink how devolved government can achieve ambitious transformations in our collective wellbeing.
The report makes a number of key recommendations, including:
- Welsh Government (or parties seeking to form the government following the 2026 Senedd elections) should seek to take a mission-led approach to policy and delivery.
- Welsh Government should establish senior leadership figures sitting in Cabinet who have responsibility for coordinating missions, including Cabinet Secretary mission leads, Civil service leadership, and Missions Boards with external expertise.
- The identification of appropriate missions should follow a thorough publicly-funded citizens assembly process. Such an approach would root solutions in lived experience and support the strengthening of our democratic health.
- Finance and budget decisions should be made on the basis of progress against missions, including feeding into the wider public sector and procurement processes.
- Private-public partnership on missions should reflect the government’s public value, purpose and missions.
- Establish mechanisms for setting up a National Wealth Fund to support mission delivery.
- Matters of constitutional reform should overlay any proposals that inhibit radical thinking – making a clear case based on delivery, e.g. devolution of the Crown Estate to Wales.
- Establish a mission-driven innovation body for Wales.
- Produce a data matrix to adequately measure progress against missions, building on the National Wellbeing Indicators approach.
You can read the full report in English and in Welsh.
This report is part of the IWA’s wider work on ‘Fostering understanding and participation in Wales’ ongoing constitutional discussion’ which is funded by the Legal Education Foundation.
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