Back in August I blogged about how, in many respects, the modern Civil Service is changing for the better – the Whitehall-centric policy machine of old is becoming a more dynamic, innovative organisation with genuine national spread (over 80% of civil servants work outside London).
The change is visible. Yet in spite of this, much of the great work that civil servants across the country are carrying out every day isn’t receiving the recognition it deserves. Perhaps we have to shoulder some blame for that – we are not as good at celebrating our successes as we could, or should, be.
The focus of the Reform Plan is to tackle our weaknesses and enable us to improve – to build a civil service that is equipped to meet the demands of modern-day government. Despite good progress on some issues, there’s still much to do – we need to be more focused on outcomes, more digitally capable, more commercially aware, more accountable and more effective where delivery is concerned.
But today, I want to take a moment to highlight a few of achievements that show how changes we’re making are starting to bear fruit.
I am writing this blog post during the week of the first Major Projects Authority Leadership Academy (MPLA) graduation. Just two years ago only a third of major projects were found to deliver on time and on budget, now this is nearly two thirds. The MPLA contributes to this improving picture by training project leaders to apply the right approaches, experience and review processes to maintain performance. By enabling over 100 Major Project Leaders per year to develop their competence, the UK Government is building the capability required to deliver its portfolio of Major Projects.
Initiatives like the MPLA show just what progress in the Capabilities Plan priority areas – digital, commercial, programme and project management, and leadership and management of change – can look like. The Academy will help to ensure that technical and commercial know-how, as well as leadership capability, return to Whitehall rather than being lost to the private sector.
I was also highly impressed to hear of DFID’s recent success in winning the 2013 Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS) award for ‘International Procurement Project of the Year’. The award was for the Contraceptive Implants Access Program – DFID collaborated with a consortium of public and private sector partners to secure the procurement of traditionally expensive contraceptive implants for 27 million women in developing countries with a 50% reduction in the price per unit. This award goes to show that we are making a real difference in areas that would scarcely have been imaginable thirty years ago.
But these aren’t just isolated examples – there are plenty of other good examples across the Civil Service.
I am proud to be part of one of the most innovative and effective civil services in the world. We responded to calls from both ministers and the public for improved online services by launching the award-winning GOV.UK and taking 25 of the UK’s most-used public services online. In the last year over 1.4 billion digital transactions have taken place across 711 services delivered by the Civil Service. The Student Loans Company has already nearly doubled customer satisfaction this way.
We are leading the way in “nudge” theory, using behavioural insights to transform the way public services are delivered, and we are more transparent than ever. Over 10,000 sets of government data are now available online to anyone in the UK and overseas to analyse and contribute to the debate about how we can deliver better public services. We are delivering more services by “payment by results” arrangements, driving success and value for the taxpayer. Through Social Impact Bonds we are managing projects on the outcomes achieved, not just the progress made.
The Civil Service Reform Plan we published last year set out the blueprint for continuing to build a modern, talented and efficient civil service with the capability to really deliver. For me, there is no question that the Civil Service is constantly improving, demonstrating its capacity for outstanding work along the way.
But we can’t be complacent. I blogged recently about the value of creating a personal development plan – if we are to continue to improve the Civil Service for the better it is important that we continue to develop our skills in the year ahead. In advance of your mid-year review, please do take fifteen minutes to complete the Self-Assessment tool which will allow you to personalise your development and ensure that it is as valuable as it can be.
There is still a long way for us to go, but I am grateful to all colleagues for their hard work and commitment to date.