Union urges professional vision for civil service reform
If the civil service is to be fit for purpose in the 21st century then it must value the skills of specialists, co-ordinate policy making across departments and public bodies and recognise the importance of government’s role as an intelligent customer.
Those are just some of the changes identified in a new report by Prospect. Government that can – needs people who know how is the union’s response to the challenge presented by civil service reform. The union agrees with the House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee that concluded in 2010: “The need for frequent civil service reform programmes over the years can be attributed to failure to consider what the civil service is for, what it should do, and what it can be reasonably expected to deliver.”
General Secretary Paul Noon said: “Our report sets out our vision for the future of the civil service. It is clear that new approaches are needed to deliver quality services, set standards for ethics and accountability, and ensure fair employment practices. But these will not be achieved without clear strategic vision and sustained political leadership.”
The report will be launched on Wednesday, March 14 at the Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AG, from 9.45-11am.
The launch is to be followed by a round-table discussion led by Martin Narey, formerly Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service and now with Barnardo’s, Peter Riddell, former Times and Financial Times journalist and now Director of the Institute for Government; and Sue Ferns, Director of Research at Prospect. It will be chaired by Joanna Woolf, Chief Executive of Cogent Sector Skills Council.
If you would like to attend please contact [email protected]