Leading the Charge on Public Service Reform: Lee Dunn on Culture, Capability and Collaboration

“Transformation always comes back to leadership and culture. They’re the heartbeat of any change effort.”- Lee Dunn, Head of Digital and Data Profession, Scottish Government

Across the public sector, digital and data leaders are under growing pressure to deliver services that are more seamless, responsive, and equitable.

In Scotland, Lee Dunn is at the centre of this effort - reshaping how the Scottish Government approaches capability, community, and reform through his leadership of the Digital and Data Profession.

“We’ve introduced a new agile operating model in the Digital Academy,” says Dunn. “It’s helping us drive business objectives, but more importantly, it supports transformation as a long-term, embedded discipline.”

That discipline is being channelled through five clear focus areas:

• Professional Learning - With new leadership and transformation prospectuses launching this year, learning is being tailored to meet the real-world needs of civil servants and public sector teams.

• Profession Management - Workforce planning and capability-building are being rethought from the ground up to create a stronger, more responsive profession across digital and data roles.

• Communities of Practice - Evolving job family communities to span the wider public sector will help reduce duplication, support knowledge-sharing, and accelerate career development.

• Improving User Experience - From streamlining the technology stack to refining service processes, the aim is to deliver digital experiences that are truly seamless and transparent.

• Resources and Guidance - Through the Digital Scotland Service Manual, teams can access practical, up-to-date information and tools to support delivery and innovation.

These efforts are grounded in the refreshed Digital Strategy for Scotland and supported by a stronger focus on components, design, architecture, procurement, and recruitment.

From skills to culture: the human factor in transformation

Dunn’s own background in education and learning brings a unique lens to the conversation. “Whenever I speak, I try to do two things: validate where we are, and challenge where we’re not moving fast enough,” he says.

For Dunn, capability is only part of the puzzle. The real shift lies in culture — how people lead, collaborate, and create space for innovation to take hold. “We can’t drive reform if we’re stuck in default behaviours. We need to question what’s become normal, especially when that normal is slowing us down.”

Advice to remember - and a challenge to the sector

The best leadership advice Dunn ever received? “You don’t need to know everything. Surround yourself with people who do, and help them do what they need to do.”

That mindset underpins his current challenge to the wider DDaT community: “Why do we keep duplicating effort? We all want better services and outcomes, yet we often reinvent the wheel. It’s time we broke that cycle.”

For Dunn, the answer lies in radical collaboration - not just within teams or departments, but across boundaries, professions, and regions.

👉  Lee Dunn is one of the DDaT leaders hosting a discussion at Government Transformation Summit (24 June, Church House Westminster). Registration is free for civil servants and local government executives.