Introductory Toolkit for Heads of Internal Communications

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Contents

Introduction 2 - 3

Improved Outcomes - further detail 4

Effective Leaders - further detail 5

Skilled People - further detail 6

A Great Place to Work - further detail 7

Embedding “A Brilliant Civil Service” in your departmental communications 8 - 10

Annex A: John Manzoni Opening Address at Civil Service Live 2016 11 - 15

Annex B: Example Branding 16 - 17

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Introduction This toolkit will help you to develop your department’s approach to embedding the Civil Service vision for a Brilliant Civil Service. It includes:

● Detail on the four areas of the vision to be a Brilliant Civil Service; ● An example speech on the vision, first delivered by John Manzoni, Chief

Executive of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary and; ● Examples of brand assets and initial suggestions for communicating the

vision in departments.

How did we get here? The vision for a Brilliant Civil Service was developed over the course of a year with inputs from civil servants at all levels, across many regions, departments, agencies and professions. It was comprehensively set out at Civil Service Live 2016 by John Manzoni. In his address, John emphasised that the building of ‘A Brilliant Civil Service’ is his number one priority over the coming years (see Annex A for the content of this speech). The Cabinet Office communications team is now regularly updating the Civil Service gov.uk page with articles that relate to the vision and will continue to work closelly with Heads of Internal Communications across government to further embed the vision into everything we do and showcase examples of the visino in action. What campaign assets can I use? The Cabinet Office Communications and Civil Service Strategy teams with GDS have developed a ‘brand’ for the vision that is flexible and can be adapted to best reflect your internal communications. The branding is bright and colourful - examples can be found in the photographs throughout this document and the colour palettes are available in the graphics guidance document. A selection of “A Brilliant Civil Service” logos are incorporated at Annex B. To date, the Cabinet Office communications team has created posters, pull banners, digital banners and logos from the vision branding. These are available for departments - see contacts section for details of who to get in touch with to order these. The Civil Service GOV.UK pages will be updated regularly with articles and further assets relating to the vision.

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We will continue to work with internal communications leads on integrating the vision branding to own materials and delivering on the commitments made by departments to embed the vision into everything we do across government..

Embedding the vision in your department Communicating the vision to be a Brilliant Civil Service is one of the most exciting opportunities for Civil Service internal communications teams this Parliament. It will have a profound impact on how the Civil Service operates over the coming months and years. In order to maximise the reach of the Brilliant Civil Service campaign in your department it will be important to link the messages with each department’s own vision or strategy. In Cabinet Office for example, the vision is being embedding through weaving in the vision messages within Cabinet Office events, initiatives and campaigns. You may want to connect with your own strategy and HR teams to discuss how the vision for a Brilliant Civil Service fits with existing vision statements,strategies and staff engagement initiatives. Strategy and HR teams are being invited to learn more about the vision in the coming months. All departments and ALBs are asked to:

● Share what’s happening in your own departments to deliver the vision for a Brilliant Civil Service so that case studies and examples are available, etc,

● Encourage teams to connect their activities to the pillars and celebrate vision successes

● Continue to build links between departmental strategy and delivery of the Civil Service vision, tracking progress against the commitment made to the Head of the Civil Service and the Chief Executive of the Civil Service in October 2016

● Ask the Cabinet Office communications team for ideas and guidance

A Brilliant Civil Service: What is it? Our vision is for A Brilliant Civil Service that helps to keep the United Kingdom prosperous and secure, supporting the government we serve in implementing its commitments and delivering high quality services for the public. We have set our ambition to be “A Brilliant Civil Service”. That means better results for citizens. It also means a Civil Service led by inspiring leaders at every level, with skilled people throughout an organisation that’s a great place to work and attracts great people. The vision to become A Brilliant Civil Service does not replace any departmental strategy or vision documents. It should enable us to collectively build a Civil Service that has delivers best possible outcomes to the public. The vision describes the future we, as a Civil Service, need to work towards – one that will deliver for the public, and for ourselves. It has four parts - four ways in which we will create brilliant public services.

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Improved Outcomes

Improved Outcomes is about having a bigger impact, and making a greater difference for the public we serve. We start from a strong position, for instance, we have made it easier and quicker for people to manage their tax affairs. In June 2016, the two millionth person signed up to HMRC’s online Personal Tax Account. All new UK passports are now biometric, with features that make forgery much more difficult and help to prevent identity fraud. Great services, good outcomes. But every day we must strive to make them better, more modern, and more relevant for the citizen. We should continually cut red tape, take calculated risks and ask ourselves – are we delivering better results, or just treading water?

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Effective Leaders

The second part of the vision builds on the great work already started by the Collective Leadership team in the Cabinet Office on the Leadership Statement. This part of the vision is about developing more effective leaders at every level and to inspire and empower colleagues to be the best they can be. This means having leaders that effectively model the attributes of the Leadership Statement: confident, inspiring and empowering. It’s also about ensuring that our leaders are constantly developing themselves to be the best that they can be.

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Skilled People

Our commitment is to build a broader set of skills in the Civil Service, so we can be more effective and offer more varied careers. We are backing this with a new set of training programmes from Civil Service Learning, from leadership and management to digital skills, and from customer service to diversity and inclusion. The Civil Service is investing in its people to ensure they perform to a high standard, are adaptable and flexible and they take personal responsibility. Skilled People is about development of skills, recruitment, retention, talent management and performance, which combine to demonstrate that the Civil Service is an attractive place to develop your career.

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A Great Place to Work

The fourth element is about making your office, department and agency a great place to work. The future is going to be predominantly about shared spaces. From DWP Jobcentres, to the HMRC location strategy – we’re cutting the size of the estate. In Central London, in 2010, civil servants were scattered across 180 different properties. There are now 54 - and that figure will more than halve again by 2023. Across the UK, we are working to reduce around 800 offices to closer to 200 by 2023 through the creation of both a network of mini-hubs and a number of strategically located multi-occupied hubs in key city centre locations. This work is not just changing the face of the government estate – it will change the way people work and empower them to work in smarter ways, to deliver better services. We also need to create a more diverse and inclusive culture; make sure that we mirror the society we serve, and create opportunities for everyone to develop themselves and their careers. We’re already more diverse than many public and private sector employers. The proportions of civil servants from ethnic minorities or declaring a disability are at historic highs, and women make up 54% of the Civil Service. But we can’t afford to be complacent, and the representation of these groups at more senior levels is still much too low.

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Embedding ‘A Brilliant Civil Service’ in departmental communications The vision to be A Brilliant Civil Service sets out an overarching ambition for our wider organisation. It is designed to complement, and not compete with departmental ambitions, purposes and visions. Embedding the vision across the Civil Service will require integration into wide a range existing communication and outreach platforms, including via departments, regions and other cross-cutting networks. Examples of ways to communicate the Civil Service vision in departments:

● Departmental intranet posts, blogs and social posts - either specifically about the vision or referencing how the topic aligns and fits with the vision

● Display of physical and digital assets for example on screens, in receptions and at events

● Departmental activities or initiatives to include a focus or link to the vision, integration of vision messaging into existing channel comms regularly such as at all staff events, departmental awards, policy sessions and talent and leader programmes

● Inclusion of the narrative and purpose in Induction materials ● Integration into departmental strategies and annual plans ● Use of vision branding on cross-Civil Service campaigns such as the People

Survey, Civil Service Awards, diversity celebrations and Civil Service Live.

Departments should note that the vision to be A Brilliant Civil Service will be simultaneously integrated into cross-departmental communications, including via the Collective Leadership team, Civil Service Local, Fast Stream / Track and other platforms. Further Information Visit the following sites and resources to find out more about the vision and remember to check back regularly for updates and new content. And remember to share collateral in the shared Basecamp for Heads of Internal Communication. A Brilliant Civil Service

● Building a Brilliant Civil Service: the first steps on the journey ● Our vision for a Brilliant Civil Service and what it means for you

Improved Outcomes

● Visit the Government Digital Service blog to hear about the latest development in Government Digital Services

● Visit the Civil Service blog to hear about specific examples of how departments are delivering better outcomes for the public

Case studies:

● HMRC and IT systems for improved outcomes for the public ● GDS Three Top Tips for Designing the Next Generation of Government

Services ● Putting data to good use (upcoming blog post)

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● Data Making the case for evidence ● Systems Thinking (upcoming blog post) ● Universal Credit update (upcoming blog post) ● Prisons Reform update (upcoming blog post) ● Gov.notify (existing articles on CS blog) ● Agile working (existing articles on CS blog)

Effective Leaders

● The Leadership Statement which states that our leaders must be inspiring, confident and empowering

● Speak to the CSHR Functional Leadership Team in the Cabinet Office can support with ongoing leadership activity

● Speak to CSHR about the Top 200 Events (some of which have already covered the vision)

● Civil Service Leaders blog ● Civil Service Leadership Statement blog

Case studies

● Managing Change Effectively (upcoming blog post - Civil Service Learning) ● Conquering Difficult Conversations (upcoming blog post - Civil Service

Learning) ● Engaging and Influencing your Team (upcoming blog post - Civil Service

Learning) ● Becoming a more inclusive leader (Philip Rutman blog)

Skilled People Overall development of the Civil Service workforce

● The Workforce Plan ● The Talent Action Plan ● Professional Networks - you can use these sites to find out about what

happening for the major Civil Service professions ○ Operational Delivery ○ Policy ○ Commercial ○ Government Communication Service ○ HR ○ Finance ○ Corporate Finance

● Civil Service Learning ● Celebrating a Year of Devolution and You and other Devolution related

material

A Great Place to Work

● The Diversity and Inclusion blog ● The Government Property Unit is enabling the Civil Service to use its public

estate more effectively ● The Workforce Plan outlines ways in which the Civil Service aims to become

more open and flexible

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● The Civil Service Awards ● The Civil Service Race Forum ● The Civil Service Disability Network

Case Studies

● Flexible Working and other upcoming blog posts on specific departments ● Mental Health and other upcoming blog posts on specific departmental

initiatives

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Annex A - An abridged version of John Manzoni’s Opening Address on a Brilliant Civil Service at the Civil Service Live conference June / July 2016 BUILDING A BRILLIANT CIVIL SERVICE

The New Political Environment We've seen the historic EU referendum set a clear direction for our country, and a new Prime Minister Theresa May. You will naturally have questions and concerns about what it means for you. However, our first duty as civil servants is to serve the government of the day - and we will of course continue to do so. The government in office will be adjusting its position to meet the will of the people - and so will the Civil Service. Whatever our own views and beliefs, our role is to support that new position. We need to get our heads around that switch. But we're used to that. We do it every time there is an election. And now, we need to begin to articulate and develop the opportunities that arise as a result of our new reality. Let’s face it – it won’t happen overnight. Working out the UK’s relationship with Europe and the rest of the world outside the EU will take time and hard work. And let’s not forget some other important aspects. First – a new Prime Minister may mean a new set of accountabilities for Cabinet Ministers – and we need to prepare for that. And second, we absolutely need to be mindful of the devolved administrations as we prepare for the next steps, to ensure that all of the UK is fully included in the process. I know Philip Rycroft, Head of UK Governance for the Cabinet Office, and his team is providing very strong support to this, but it needs us all to think about it. Meanwhile, critically, we have to continue to serve the public - keeping them safe, paying benefits and delivering services every day. We need to maintain a disciplined approach, and think carefully about how we deploy our resources across our existing priorities, as well as the new ones. So our task, in terms of conducting business as usual, remains exactly that. And I know you will do it with your customary commitment, integrity and professionalism. We will, as the saying goes - keep calm and carry on!

We have set our ambition to be “A Brilliant Civil Service”

That means better results for citizens. It also means a Civil Service led by inspiring leaders at every level, with skilled people throughout an organisation that’s a great place to work and attracts great people. Every day, I see great people across the Civil Service motivated by an ethos of public service - and the core values that underpin everything we do. Early this year, much of northern Britain was hit by floods. Agencies and departments – Defra, Transport, MoD, DCLG, Cabinet Office, the Environment Agency – quickly got down to the job of working together to help the affected communities. And civil servants took responsibility, cutting through bureaucracy to get people paid compensation, rebuilding roads in record time, and helping businesses recover.

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I’ve met teams across the country – whether they’re part of the Troubled Families Programme, or regenerating communities in places like Ellesmere Port on Merseyside, and Margate in Kent - using different public services working together. These boundaries can also be international, as our response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa showed. The value of cross-departmental working couldn’t be clearer than in the way DFID worked with more than a dozen departments and arms-length bodies to develop a vaccine, diagnose and treat patients, and encourage and lead a wider international response, to successfully contain the spread of this dreadful disease. And in departments, I’ve seen fantastic examples of frontline operational delivery, from keeping us safe on our borders, to rebuilding communities and maintaining the nation’s health. Here in Whitehall, I see first-class analysis and policy advice to ministers. In 2016 so far we’ve already passed the Armed Forces Act, the Housing and Planning Act, the Immigration Act, and the Charities Act – to name just a few of those which have gained Royal Assent this year.

And across the world, departments like FCO, DECC and DFID are promoting our prosperity, protecting our security and projecting our values, to safeguard Britain’s position as a major player in the world, and our Civil Service as world class. The latest survey of public faith in different professions shows trust in civil servants is at record levels, particularly among the generation born between 1980 and 2000 - exactly the young people we want to attract into the Civil Service. So, we do great work, we have good people, and increasing public trust. And if we lived in a world that stood still, that might be enough. But, as recent events have demonstrated, that is simply not the case. A Brilliant Civil Service That’s why we have a new vision for ‘A Brilliant Civil Service’ - brilliant in the way it meets the needs of the citizens it serves. And to realise this vision, every one of us - from the top down - has to change. You know from your own jobs about the impact of rising public expectations, fast-moving developments in technology, and changes in society. The vision describes the future we need to work towards – one that will deliver for the public, and for ourselves. It has four parts - four ways in which we will create brilliant public services.

1. A focus on improved outcomes – having a bigger impact, and making a greater difference for the public we serve. Every day we must strive to make outcomes better, more modern, and more relevant for the citizen. We should continually cut red tape, take calculated risks and ask ourselves – are we delivering better results, or just treading water?

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2. Developing more effective leaders at every level from the frontline up, to inspire and empower colleagues to be the best they can be.

3. Our commitment to build a broader set of skills in the Civil Service, so we can be more effective and offer more varied careers.

4. Our promise to make your office, department and agency a great place to work.

What happens next? But with so much attention on the result of the referendum, and how we tackle the task of helping the government shape a new relationship for Britain with Europe, there may be a temptation to lose focus on the vision. We have to resist that temptation. The transformation we need to make in who we are, how we work, the quality of public services, is more important than ever. So, my challenge to you is to make the vision a reality. I can’t just stand here and ‘instruct’ you to change. Together, we need to create an environment that allows our workforce to embrace transformation, see the positives, and to help each other through it. To achieve this requires leadership – at every level, in every department. The Leadership Statement began this work. The fact that more than half of civil servants in the 2015 People Survey believe their managers actively role model the behaviours the statement commits them to – being inspiring, confident and empowering - shows we are making progress. But we need to go further, faster. We’ll soon be launching a Leadership Academy to ingrain the Leadership Statement in our culture. We’re introducing new career models to reshape our workforce and ensure that the Civil Service is the right size and has the right skills to deliver our vision of the future. At entry level, this includes apprenticeships and new professional fast streams in areas such as Digital, Commercial, Finance, HR and Project Management. For existing civil servants, it means:

· establishing clear career paths - so that people don’t feel they have to leave a job they’re doing well just to progress;

· and a greater level of permeability in and out of the Civil Service - so that you can move outside to gain different skills and experience without getting lost in the system when you want to return.

This way we can build the depth of expertise we need for the future. All of these changes are wrapped up in the Civil Service Workforce Plan - being launched by Matt Hancock, Minister for the Cabinet Office, and I encourage you to go along and listen to his speech here later today to find out more. We also have to improve our working environment. We must make optimum use of the Government Estate while also creating better places to work, with up-to-date technology and modern facilities - often in new regional hubs, where several departments work together. I’ve said previously that today we’re predominantly in our departments – but the future is going to be predominantly about shared spaces.

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These changes are happening now, around London and across the whole of the UK. From DWP Jobcentres, to the HMRC location strategy – we’re cutting the size of the estate. In Central London, in 2010, civil servants were scattered across 180 different properties. It’s down to 54 now - and that figure will more than halve again by 2023. By co-locating and developing strategic hubs, as well as renovating and streamlining our presence in Whitehall, as MOJ and Defra have done, we will create the environment to build and share skills across government. Across the UK, we are working to reduce around 800 offices to closer to 200 by 2023 through the creation of both a network of mini-hubs and a number of strategically located multi-occupied hubs in key city centre locations – with great public transport, and a modern, more sustainable working environment. This work is not just changing the face of the government estate – it will change the way people work and empower them to work in smarter ways, to deliver better services. To do this and work in more joined-up ways, you have to have the right tools for the job. I think we all know that historically the Civil Service does not have a great reputation when it comes to digital. But again - improvements are already happening. Universal Credit, Personal Tax Accounts, renewing a Driver’s License, applying for a Passport - these are all online services that are changing the relationship between citizen and state. We need to make flexible, modern tech available to the Civil Service too. It’s happening in pockets already - some departments such as DCMS and Cabinet Office are already seeing the benefits of better IT and more effective online tools, through the new Common Technology Service. Similarly, we need stronger commercial skills - to ensure we hold our own in negotiations on some of the biggest contracts managed across the whole UK. From Civil Service Learning to offender management, our relationship with suppliers is critical to delivery - so we’ve got to get it right. That’s why we’ve developed a new strategic supplier management programme, reshaped the Crown Commercial Service, and strengthened our complex transactions capability to help negotiate and manage these contracts - and saved the taxpayer millions in the process. But if we want this to be a great place to work, it is about much more than this. We need to create a more diverse and inclusive culture; make sure that we mirror the society we serve, and create opportunities for everyone to develop themselves and their careers. We’re already more diverse than many public and private sector employers. The proportions of civil servants from ethnic minorities or declaring a disability are at historic highs, and women make up 54% of the Civil Service. But we can’t afford to be complacent, and the representation of these groups at more senior levels is still much too low. We are tackling inequalities in recruitment and progression. We’ve introduced name-blind recruitment across most of the Civil Service, and want this to become the standard for the whole public sector. Meanwhile, we have also introduced the single disability passport, which is designed to make it easier for employees with a disability or health condition to move jobs. So we are underway - from our buildings, to improving our skills, our diversity, and how we work together – we are making progress in transforming how we go about our work.

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And this progress is in addition to the major change and infrastructure programmes which are transforming our services to the public – Courts Reform, Universal Credit, Tax Free Childcare, One Government at the Border, Transforming Rehabilitation and Cross Rail. So we are transforming our services and transforming ourselves. And now we need to absorb the reality of the new relationships as a result of exiting the European Union, not to mention a new Prime Minister and new team. That is a great deal of change. We will need to accelerate the existing changes to how we work – we will need to be more collaborative across our boundaries, more open about our priorities, more honest about our constraints, and more disciplined in our approach. Otherwise we won’t be able to handle it all. I encourage you to embrace this change, step into it, take the lead and help others get on board. We need strong, confident leadership at every level. We need to drive through the transformational improvements to public services which are underway, while negotiating new legal and trade positions for the country. And we need to keep our Vision for the future at the forefront of our minds, while we lead our teams through office moves and new ways of working that affect each of us very personally. This is our leadership challenge. In return, you get the opportunity to be part of the best Civil Service in the world, to be proud of what you do as a civil servant, and for the country to take pride in you. Key contacts Elayne Phillips, Head of Civil Service Communications and Internal Communications

Gillian McFarland, Senior Policy Adviser Civil Service Strategy

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Annex B - A Brilliant Civil Service Logos and vision one pager

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