Civil service reforms face failure, MPs warn

6 Sep 13
A committee of MPs has warned that the government’s civil service reforms are ‘bound to fail’ as they lack both strategic coherence and clear leadership from ministers.

By Richard Johnstone | 6 September 2013

A committee of MPs has warned that the government’s civil service reforms are ‘bound to fail’ as they lack both strategic coherence and clear leadership from ministers.

The public administration select committee called for an alternative set of changes to be drawn up by a commission established by both houses of parliament to ensure reforms command wider support.

After a year-long examination of the Whitehall machinery, MPs said the civil service exhibited the key characteristics of a failing organisation, in which most people knew the system was failing, but where nobody knew how to address this.

Committee chair Bernard Jenkin said the coalition's reforms, which are intended to improve commissioning, contracting and digital skills in government, only underlined the need for more radical change in what ministers expect from civil servants and their accountability.

‘There are deeper problems in the machinery of Whitehall that can only be exposed and addressed by external scrutiny by an independent body,’ he said.

‘The fact that the Civil Service Reform Plan itself is meeting resistance is all the evidence that you need that it is not going to deliver the transformative change which is necessary meet the challenges faced by our country.’

Among the problems highlighted by the committee were a persistent lack of key skills and capabilities across Whitehall and an unacceptably high level of churn of lead officials.

MPs also found there was divided leadership and confused accountabilities within central government, and a lack of trust among civil servants in some departments. The Truth to power report said this had been fuelled by a tendency to scapegoat individual officials rather than to learn lessons from failures, such as the West Coast mainline franchise fiasco.

In the course of its hearings, no independent witness suggested the government’s present programme of reforms would succeed in creating the transformational change that is required.

The vast majority supported the creation of a commission on the future of civil service, Jenkin said. ‘The proposed commission must consider what changes need to be made to address these problems and map out the new vision for the civil service. Its analysis must be accepted by all, to enable ministers and lead officials to inspire and lead change.’

Responding to the report, the Institute for Government said a commission would only work if it ‘concentrates on the longer-term issues of the structure of Whitehall and does not undermine or hold-up current reform efforts’.

Director Peter Riddell added: ‘Consequently, the focus should be on the role and functions of government for the next parliament, covering the frequently highlighted issues of accountability and secretary of state/permanent secretary relations, the organisation of departments, the way Whitehall operates and how services are delivered.’

Senior civil servants union the First Division Association said the proposed commission should not just include politicians.

FDA general secretary Dave Penman added: ‘There appears to be no disagreement that reform of the civil service is required – ongoing reforms are essential to any major organisation, including the civil service. Any proposed commission should not prevent essential reforms from being made.’

A Cabinet Office spokesman insisted the government had ‘the right plan in place’.

He added: ‘We are proud of the steps jointly taken by ministers and civil servants, but we acknowledged in the One Year On report the need to step up the pace in some areas of reform. 

‘We published the first ever candid report into government’s biggest projects, and last year saved the taxpayer £10bn - £600 for every working household.’

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