ppma annual seminar 2014 - keynote - government's public service reform programme
TRANSCRIPT
Efficiency and Civil Service Reform: Reflections… Katherine KerswellDirector General, Cabinet Office
PPMA, Leeds, 8 May 2014
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Context
Sources: Budget 2014; Spending Review 2010, ONS, OBR.
Total public sector spending and receipts (Excludes Royal Mail and APF transfers.)
“The job of changing our country is far from done. The sheer scale of the challenges that still face us – and the need to hold our own in a competitive world mean that we need to change the way government works.
“Put simply, it needs to be sharper and quicker. We need the whole machine to be more agile, more focused on delivery and on getting results.
“The core of the Civil Service Reform Plan is this: harnessing the world-beating talents of those who work in our Civil Service and making sure they aren’t held back by a system that can be sclerotic and slow.”
The Prime Minister, Civil Service Reform Plan launch, June 2012
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Efficiency and Reform and Civil Service Reform The Efficiency and Reform Group (ERG) works in partnership with HM Treasury and government departments to deliver efficiencies, savings and reforms on behalf of UK taxpayers. ERG aims to save money, transform the way public services are delivered, improve user experience and support UK growth.
•Acting as ‘one customer’
•Assuring delivery of government’s most significant projects
•Digital by Default
•Supporting UK growth
•Driving a clear, evidence-based approach
“Unified, Open,
Accountable and Skilled”
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Future of Government Services - 5 Public Service Reform Principles“In the UK, public sector reform has been an immediate response to the urgent need to reduce the national deficit. But there is a greater prize at stake - the opportunity to create 21st century services: cost-effective and sustainable for the future, but also faster and more responsive to people’s needs.
“So we need a new paradigm for government services. One that delivers better services focused on user need, at much lower cost, in a way that supports economic growth.”
Minister for the Cabinet Office, February 2014
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Open• Open Data and Transparency
• Open Policy Making - the Contestable Policy Fund
• What Works Centres:• Crime Reduction• Early Intervention• Local Economic Growth• Health and Social Care• Educational Attainment
• 12 actions to professionalise policy making
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Tight• Property• IT• Procurement• Project Delivery• Management Information
Source: MPA Annual Report, 2013
Loose• Operations
• Alternative models, e.g. creation of public service mutuals:
• Pathfinders• Mutual Support Programme• Since 2010, mutual numbers have
increased to nearly 100 • They employ over 35,000 people,
delivering around £1.5 billion worth of services
• Absenteeism falls by 20%; staff turnover falls by 16%
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Innovation
“Every day we must ask, are we doing things better for the people we serve? Every civil servant should be proud of their role, work to deliver exceptional service and challenge colleagues to do the same.”
Civil Service People Survey• Seven of the survey’s ten headline scores
are at or above their 2009 position• Leadership and managing change is the
strongest driver of engagement, and remains a major challenge
• Scores relating to innovation are strong and improving
Questions All Civil Service
SCS only
I believe I would be supported if I try a new idea, even if it may not work 67% 93%
My performance is evaluated based on whether I get things done, rather than solely follow process
65% 84%
I have the opportunity to contribute my views before decisions are made that affect me
36% 70%
I think it is safe to challenge the way things are done in [my organisation] 38% 70%
Source: Civil Service 2013 People Survey
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Digital by Default• Putting users at the heart of public
services• Digital Exemplars, for example:
– Electoral Registration (Beta)– Apprenticeship applications (Alpha)– Student finance (Live)– View your driving record (Beta)– Apply for carer's allowance (Beta)– Vehicle management (Alpha)– Claim Personal Independency
Payment (Discovery)– Universal Credit (Beta)– Digital Self-Assessment (Beta)
• Migration of Government websites to GOV.UK
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Capability and the Battle for Talent “We need leadership that recognises the importance of [the Capability] agenda and focuses in on an honest assessment of where we are now both departmentally and corporately. “This is mission critical for the Government and mission critical for the civil service. We will be forgiven many things but we will not be forgiven if we are not capable of doing the job we are being asked to do.”
Sir Bob Kerslake to the Top 200, January 2014
Leadership & Management
of Change
Digital Project Delivery
Commercial
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Challenges ahead
Current spending on public services and administration
“...the job is far from done. Our country still borrows too much. We still don’t invest enough, export enough or save enough.So today we do more to put that right. This is a Budget for building a resilient economy. ...“[The deficit] is still one of the highest in the world – so today [Budget Day] we take further action to bring it down.”
The Chancellor, Budget Speech, March 2014
Sources: HM Treasury Budget 2014, HM Treasury Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, July 2013
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Conclusions• Productivity – delivering more with less
• Cost accounting – understanding and challenging the cost base
• Collaboration and co-operation – whole public sector transformation
• Common platforms – everyone welcome...!
• Digital by design
• Innovation and experimentation
Total public services output, inputs and productivity estimates 1997-2010
Source: ONS Public Service Productivity statistics
