Civil Service Reform
With a consensual acceptance to reforming the operational structure of the public sector, the UK Civil Service has experienced much change in the past 15 years. Attempts have been made to shift the Civil Service from being a body providing policy advice, to one which assures the delivery of quality public services. One of the main aims for the Civil Service has been to open up to potential partners outside government in order to improve efficiency and take on an entrepreneurial approach. This section contains articles concerning the developments in UK Civil Service reform.
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Tough Choices Ahead: The future of the public sector (PDF) KPMG, 2010 This report insists that short-term measures to cut costs and improve efficiency must be allied with sector transformation as government tries to reconcile rising citizen expectations and budget restrictions. It aims to stimulate debate to this end, drawing on in-depth interviews with 17 public sector leaders from Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the US. UK
Opinion Pieces on Improving Commercial Skills for Complex Government Projects (Web Page) Sir Peter Gershon, Colm Reilly, Patrick Smith, Mike Nichols, Tim Stone, Gary L Sturgess, Rebecca George & Richard Porter, Susan Anderson, Stephen Pryke, David Locke, David Outram, Andrew Haldenby, 2009 National Audit Office (NAO) This volume of opinion pieces is intended to offer a flavour of the debate around commercial skills in government and to encourage further discussion. It is published in addition to the National Audit Office report Commercial Skills for Complex Projects (also available in this library). UK
Shaping Up: A Whitehall for the future (PDF) Simon Parker, Akash Paun, Jonathan McClory & Kate Blatchford, 2010 Institute for Government (IFG) This report provides an 'insider's view' of the challenges facing the UK civil service, drawing on a year-long analysis and over 60 anonymous interviews with senior public servants. In particular it identifies and addresses three core challenges: strategy, governance and collaboration. UK
Commercial Skills for Complex Government Projects (PDF) National Audit Office (NAO), 2009 As the private sector plays a growing role in public service delivery, there is increased need for government staff with the commercial skills to interact with the private sector. This report finds that there remain substantial gaps amongst public sector staff, notably in contract management, commissioning, risk and business acumen. It concludes that there is still not a coherent system for providing skills across government or for using the existing skills as efficiently as possible. UK
Fit For Purpose (PDF) Andrew Haldenby, Lucy Parsons, Greg Rosen, Elizabeth Truss, 2009 Reform This report argues that the UK civil service is among the most unaccountable in the developed world and that successive governments have failed in attempts at reform. It presents a new framework for Whitehall, principally democratic accountability to hold senior civil servants to account. UK
Assessment of the Capability Review Programme (Web Page) National Audit Office (NAO), 2009
The Capability Review, launched in 2005, aims to assess and improve delivery by systematically comparing the performance of different government departments. The progress made by this Review is now examined for the first time.
Public Sector Reform section: Recruiting Civil Servants Efficiently (Web Page) National Audit Office (NAO), 2009 NAO
In 2007-08, UK central government recruited over 40,000 new staff. The NAO finds three common issues: the costs of the recruitment process are too high; the length of the process is too long; and the quality of the process needs to be improved. The report suggests ways of improving external recruitment.
Excellence and fairness: Achieving world class public services (PDF) Cabinet Office, 2008 This report presents the British government's approach to public service reform in the coming years. It emphasizes the historic role of the private and voluntary sectors in enhancing public service quality and points to more choice and greater contestability as key mechanisms for future improvement. It also discusses three new strategies for reform: empowering citizens, fostering a new professionalism in the public service workforce and providing strategic leadership from the central government. The reform agenda should be underpinned by the values of excellence and fairness. UK
Our 21st Century Civil Service - Creating a Culture of Excellence (PDF) O'Donnell, Sir Gus, 2006 This document is a transcript of the speech given by Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell at the Public Service Reform Conference. The transcript outlines a vision for Civil Service reform, recommending improvements such as increasing the skills of civil servants and making it a more customer-focused service. The document states that much can be learned from opening up the public sector domain to the views and expertise of the private and voluntary sectors. A particular emphasis is made on the need for partnerships to be formed to provide a service that suits the specific needs of individuals. UK
The Reluctant Managers-Part 1 Report on Reforming Whitehall (PDF) Darwell, Rupert, 2005 KPMG This report argues the case for reforming the Civil Service. The report identifies the problems of the Civil Service. It also traces the historical background and successes of past Civil Service reform. The author asserts that whilst the Next Steps Initiative provided a good basis for change, the measures under the Government's 'The Civil Service: Continuity and Change' report led to a step back in the drive for reform. The report concludes that better performance in the Civil Service will require higher quality policy analysis, policy design and the delegation of management responsibility for delivery. UK
New CoA Draft Civil Service Bill -A Consultation Document (PDF) Cabinet Office, 2005 The Stationery Office
A Draft Civil Service Bill. Government wishes to consult on whether legislation is a necessary and desirable step to take in support of the values that have characterised the Civil Service since Northcote and Trevelyan wrote their report.
UKThe Evolution of the British Public Service Ethos: A Historical-Institutional Approach in Explaining Change (PDF) Vandenabeele, Wouter, and Horton, Sylvia, 2005 Joint EGPA-ASPA Conference, Catholic University Leuven This paper investigates the emergence of the British Civil Service's public service ethos (PSE) throughout history before seeking to explain variations in the content of the PSE by embedding it in a historical-institutional framework. As such it provides a useful historical narrative on the evolution and reform of the Civil Service in the UK as well as prompting some interesting questions on institutional change and motivation in government, though without offering too many answers. Belgium
Civil Service Reform 2001-Making a Difference Cabinet Office, 2001 This is a report for the Prime Minister which looks at the progress made since the 1999 Civil Service reforms. The report recommends that there is a need to improve the delivery and quality of public services. In order for this to occur, suggestions are made regarding the environment in which staff perform. The report implies that through interaction with the private sector, a service could be provided to the customer which provides greater choice. UK
The Civil Service: Continuity and Change The Stationery Office, 1994 This White Paper sets out the Government's plans to enhance Civil Service performance. The proposals concern the improvement of the management structure within the service. Here, the White Paper suggests using a managerial approach, with the use of benchmarking and quality management. Changes to the Civil Service are suggested regarding a greater concentration on service delivery through focusing on the performance of the Civil Service. The document also places an emphasis on the need for an improvement in efficiency. The drive for efficiency and quality promotes extending competition and searching for the best service provider through privatisation and contracting. ISBN 0 10 126272 8 UK
The Evolution of the Civil Service-A Progress Report Butler, Robin , 1993 Public Administration, Vol. 81, Autumn pp.395-406 This report looks at the main phases, principles and attempts in the history of reform to the Civil Service. These include the Next Steps Initiative, the Citizen's Charter, the use of financial delegation and management. The author identifies that the main challenge that the Civil Service will be likely to face in the future will be with the need to combine efficiency, flexibility and standards of the service with the traditional principles of the Civil Service. UK
The Role of the Civil Service House of Commons Treasury and Civil Service Committee, 1993 The Stationery Office This report suggests ways to equip the Civil Service for the demands of the 21st century. The report analyses changes that may be required or anticipated in relation to the development of government initiatives such as the Citizen's Charter and the Next Steps Initiative. Some of the suggestions include ways of opening up the Civil Service to privatisation and greater opportunities for contracting and service-level agreements. ISBN 0 10 020654 9 UK
Beyond Next Steps: A Civil Service for the 21st Century Kemp, Sir Peter, 1993 Social Market Foundation (SMF) This article outlines a plan to advance public sector reform, particularly in regards to Civil Service reform. It heavily emphasizes the need to move away from a single monolithic service to become a loose federation of smaller agencies. It presents certain proposals for improving Civil Service delivery such as giving greater independence to agencies and monitoring delivery. The article also argues that government does not always need to be the service deliverer: the service should be provided by the sector which fits best. ISBN 1 874097 25 9 UK
Civil Service Management Reform: The Next Steps Treasury and Civil Service Committee, 1988 The Stationery Office This report sets out arguments concerning the way in which government is organised, and has changed. The report identifies that management has become more efficient, and the quality of services has improved. However, it does suggest a number of improvements, such as the need for the Civil Service be more flexible. It also recommends the delegation of management decisions and a role for agencies to carry out the executive functions of government.I ISBN 0 10 020198 9 UK
Report on the Organisation of the Permanent Civil Service (PDF) Northcote, Stafford H. and Trevelyan, Charles E., 1854 Her Majesty's Stationery Office This report recommended an end to the system of patronage and privilege for appointments to civil service positions so as to reduce inefficiency and corruption and its replacement with a system of promotion based on merit and competition. It led to the creation of the Civil Service Commissioners and recrutiment through examination and interview. UK