22 September 2006
Cabinet Office officials this week admitted that many of Whitehall's human resources functions are inadequate, after it emerged that the four HR directors whose departments were criticised in Capability Reviews this summer are set to leave their posts.
Mike Watts, director of HR transformation at the Cabinet Office, told Public Finance that Whitehall HR services, which help deliver the government's public services reforms by recruiting and training staff, face 'difficult and complex' challenges following the introduction of Departmental Capability Reviews.
Watts admitted that Whitehall was now 'lagging behind' private sector organisations in areas such as 'the use of technology and e-enablement'.
'The [HR] game is moving ahead, and without stepping into that game we're going to be found wanting,' Watts warned.
Cabinet secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell this week launched an unprecedented Cabinet Office campaign to recruit high-performing human resources personnel to at least seven director-level posts. They include the leading roles at the four departments that trialled the DCRs this summer: the Home Office, Education and Skills, Constitutional Affairs and Work and Pensions.
However, Watts denied that the four departing mandarins were being made scapegoats for poor DCR results, which revealed that the beleaguered Home Office, for example, was effectively failing in all ten of its capability assessments.
All four DCRs raised concerns about leadership and HR functions, which has worried O'Donnell and the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit.
Helen Dudley, HR director at the DCA during the review process, has moved to the Cabinet Office, where she will co-ordinate an improvement plan for the sector.
John Marsh at the Home Office will step down as soon as his replacement is in post. DfES HR chief Susan Thomas has left Whitehall, although Watts said she had 'let us know she wanted to pursue a career outside the civil service long before the DCRs'.
The future of Kevin White at the DWP is less clear. White helped to develop the department's unpopular staff appraisal system, which was criticised by DWP permanent secretary Leigh Lewis after the DCR and is now under review.
While a spokesman for the DWP said White had 'not announced he was departing', a senior civil service source said that 'the expectation at the Cabinet Office is that Kevin will move on'. It has been reported that White is considering retirement. His office was unavailable for comment.
None of the departing personnel, Watts said, were 'cajoled' or 'pushed' to leave their posts. But he acknowledged that the DCRs had introduced 'certain pressures' and 'issues' that senior staff must overcome.
Watts pointed out that the Revenue & Customs and Treasury Solicitor's departments, as well as the intelligence services' GCHQ in Cheltenham, were also seeking new HR directors as part of O'Donnell's plan to improve Whitehall's leadership functions.
Watts said that changes to Whitehall HR functions were vital. 'If you look at the reform model, it looks at “top-down” targeting… you need some really different capabilities in the civil service. That requires strategic HR leadership.'
PFsep2006
